Little Willie Littlefield

Willie Littlefield, Jr.,[2] billed as Little Willie Little- 1.2 Success at Modern records
field (September 16, 1931 – June 23, 2013),[3] was an
American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer[4] Back at Modern Records, he recorded “It’s Midnight”,
whose early recordings “formed a vital link between which became a national hit, reaching number three on
boogie-woogie and rock and roll".[4] Littlefield was re- the Billboard R&B chart, and its follow-up, “Farewell”,
garded as a teenage wonder and overnight sensation when which reached number five.[7] He became a major night-
in 1949, at the age of 18, he popularized the triplet club attraction and recorded with West Coast musicians
piano style on his Modern Records debut single “It’s such as Maxwell Davis. Don Wilkerson, Littlefield’s
Midnight”.[5] He also recorded the first version of the schoolmate and the leading saxman in his band, also
song "Kansas City" (originally issued as “K. C. Lovin'"), travelled to Los Angeles, but Milburn promptly per-
in 1952. suaded him to lead his own new band, the Aladdin
Chickenshackers.[6]
Modern Records booked Littlefield for three recording
sessions in October 1949, followed by more sessions over
the next two months at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
1 Career During these three months alone, over 22 sides were cut –
an unusual output compared to that of most other artists,
who averaged only two sessions a year. Other musicians
1.1 Early career at these sessions included the saxophonists Maxwell Davis
and Buddy Floyd, the guitarists Chuck Norris and Johnny
Littlefield was born in El Campo, Texas, and grew up in Moore, and the drummers Al Wichard and Jessie Price.[6]
Houston with his mother. By 1947, at the age of sixteen, One of his 1950 recordings, “Happy Pay Day”, a song
he was already a local attraction in many of the clubs on written by Jack Holmes, was later rewritten by Holmes
Dowling Street in Houston and was recording for Eddie with entirely different lyrics as "The Blacksmith Blues",
Henry, a local record shop proprietor who ran his own which became a hit for Ella Mae Morse.[8]
label, Eddie’s Records.[6] He formed his first band with In 1951, his duet with Little Lora Wiggins, “I've Been
the saxophonist Don Wilkerson, a friend from school.[4] Lost”, reached number 10 on the R&B chart.[7]
Littlefield was strongly influenced by the boogie-woogie In 1952 he moved to the Federal subsidiary of King
pianist Albert Ammons. A particular favourite of his Records. His first session for Federal produced “K. C.
was Ammons’s “Swanee River Boogie”, which he later Loving”, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and
recorded for Eddie’s Records.[6] Other major influences later re-recorded by Wilbert Harrison as "Kansas City".
on Littlefield’s style were the Texas musicians Charles
Brown and Amos Milburn.[3] Littlefield learned most of By 1957 Littlefield had moved to northern California and
their “chops” and soon developed his own distinctive continued to record for Don Barksdale’s Rhythm label
triplet style, which was widely copied by R&B musicians in San [6] Francisco, where he produced the single “Ruby,
in the early 1950s, particularly Fats Domino, who incor- Ruby”. Littlefield’s recording and his subsequent re-
porated it into his New Orleans rhythm and blues. [6] leases were not successful, but he remained a popular per-
former in clubs in the San Francisco area.
His first recording, “Little Willie’s Boogie”, was a hit in
Texas in 1949 and brought him to the attention of Jules In the late 1970s he toured Europe successfully, settling in
Bihari, of Modern Records in Los Angeles, who was the Netherlands and releasing a number of albums from
searching for a performer to rival the success of Amos 1982 into the late 1990s [9]
for the Oldie Blues label from
[4]
Milburn. Bihari flew to Houston in July 1949 to inves- Martin van Olderen.
tigate the city’s black entertainment venues and heard of
a “teenage wonder boy pianist” who was causing a stir at
the Eldorado Ballroom. Bihari went to hear Littlefield 1.3 Retirement and comeback
and soon arranged for an audition at a local studio. The
session was captured on acetate disc, with Bihari, clearly After touring for more than 50 years, Littlefield stopped
audible in the background, calling for Littlefield to play in 2000. After five years of retirement in his adopted
popular R&B tunes of the day.[6] home country, the Netherlands, he decided to play again,

1
2 2 SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Littlefield in Germany, 2006
starting in 2006, declaring, “I went fishing for five years
– now I know every herring in Holland by name – it
got boring. I feel great and I want to be back with my
audience.”[10]
In his later years Littlefield continued to perform occa-
sionally, mainly at festivals, particularly in the UK. In
2008 he played at the 20th Burnley Blues Festival, in
2008, and at the 5th annual UK Boogie Woogie Festival
at Sturminster Newton in Dorset, in July 2009. He per-
formed at Shakedown Blues Club, at Castor Hall, near
Castor, Peterborough, in 2006 and made a return appear-
ance in October 2010.[11]
He died at his home in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, in
2013, at the age of 81. He had cancer.[4]
2 Selected discography
2.1 Selected singles
• 1948 (late): “Little Willie’s Boogie” / “My Best
Wishes”, Eddie’s 1202 (shellac, 10”)
• 1948 (late): “Medley Boogie”, Eddie’s (unreleased)
• 1949 (early): “What’s the Use” / “Chicago Bound”,
Eddie’s 1205 (shellac, 10”)
• c. 3/49: “Littlefield Boogie” (flip side, “Sweet Ole
Woman’s Blues” by Goree Carter), Freedom 1502
(shellac, 10”)
• 1949: “Boogie Woogie Playgirl” / “Swanee River”
(piano solo), Eddie’s 1212 (shellac, 10”)
• 1949: “Midnight Whistle” / “It’s Midnight”, Modern
20-686 (shellac, 10”)
• 1949: “Drinkin' Hadacol” / “Farewell”, Modern 20-
709 (shellac, 10”)
• c. 12/49: “Come On Baby” / “Merry Christmas”,
Modern 20-716 (shellac, 10”)
• 1950: “The Moon Is Risin'" / “Frightened”, Modern
20-726 (shellac, 10”)
• 3/50: “Your Love Wasn't So” / “Rocking Chair
Mama”, Modern 20-729 (shellac, 10”)
• 1950: “Tell Me Baby” / “Why Leave Me All
Alone”,Modern 20-747 (shellac, 10”)
• 1950: “Cheerful Baby” / “Happy Pay Day”, Modern
20-754 (shellac, 10”)
• 10/50: “Trouble Around Me” / “Hit the Road”,
Modern 20-775 (shellac, 10”)
• c. 11/50: “Ain't a Better Story Told” / “You Never
Miss a Good Woman Till She’s Gone”, Modern 20-
781 (shellac, 10”)
• c. 12/50: “Come On Baby” / “Merry Christmas”,
Modern 20-785 (shellac, 10”)
• 1951: “Once Was Lucky” / “I've Been Lost”, Mod-
ern 20-801 (shellac, 10”)
• 1951: “Lump In My Throat” / “Mean, Mean
Woman”, Modern 837 (shellac, 10”)
• 1951: “Life of Trouble” / “Too Late for Me”, Mod-
ern 854 (shellac, 10”)
• 1952: “Sticking on You Baby” / “Blood Is Redder
Than Wine”, Federal 12101 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• c. 11/52: “K. C. Loving” / “Pleading at Midnight”,
Federal 12110 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 3/53 : “Turn the Lamps Down Low”, duet with Lit-
tle Esther [Phillips] (flip side by Little Esther), Fed-
eral 12115 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1953: “The Midnight Hour Was Shining” / “My Best
Wishes and Regards”, Federal 12137 (shellac, 10";
vinyl, 7”)
• 1953: “Rock a Bye Baby” / “Miss K. C.'s Fine”,
Federal 12148 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1/54: “Please Don't Go-o-o-o-oh” / “Don't Take
My Heart Little Girl”, Federal 12163 (shellac, 10";
vinyl, 7”)
• 1954: “Falling Tears” / “Goofy Dust Blues” Federal
12174 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1955: “Jim Wilson’s Boogie” / “Sitting on the Curb-
stone”, Federal 12221 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
2.3 Selected compilation albums
• 8/57: “Mistreated” / “Baby Shame”, Rhythm 107
(shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 12/57: “Ruby-Ruby”, with the Mondellos (vocal
group) / “Easy Go” (instrumental), Rhythm 108
(vinyl, 7”)
• 1958: “Theresa”, with female vocal group / “The
Day the Rains Came” (instrumental), Rhythm 124
(vinyl, 7”)
• 1958: “Ruby-Ruby”, with the Mondellos (vocal
group) / “Easy Go” (instrumental), Bullseye 1005
(shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1958: “I Need a Payday” / “I Want a Little Girl”,
Rhythm 115 (vinyl, 7”)
• c. 4/59: “Kansas City” ["K. C. Loving"] / “The Mid-
night Hour Was Shining”, Federal 12351 (vinyl, 7”)
• 1959: “Goodbye Baby” / “I Wanna Love You”,
Rhythm 130 (vinyl, 7”)
• 1960: “Ruby-Ruby”, with the Mondellos (vocal
group) / “Easy Go” (instrumental), Argyle 1013
(vinyl, 7”)
• 1975: “Mac’s Old House” / “San Jose Express”,
Blues Connoisseur 1008 (vinyl, 7”)
• 1976: “Willie’s Blues” / “I'll Tell the World I Do”,
Blues Connoisseur 1011 (vinyl, 7”)
2.2 Albums
• 1980: Paris Streetlights, Paris Album PLB 2 28508
(recorded May 14, 1980); reissued on CD, 1996,
EPM Blues Collection BC 157802[12][13]
• 1982: Houseparty, Oldie Blues OL 8003 (recorded
June 1982)
• 1983: I'm in the Mood, Oldie Blues OL 8006
(recorded 1983)
• 1985: Happy Pay Day, Ace CH 150
• 1987: Plays the Boogie Woogie, Schubert Records
SCH-100 (recorded 1987); reissued on CD, 1992,
Munich CMA CM 8013
• 1990: Singalong with Little Willie Littlefield, Oldie
Blues OLCD 7001 (recorded 1987)
• 1992: ... Goes Rhythm 'n Blues, CMA Music CMA
CM 10002
• 1993: The Stars of Rhythm 'n Blues! CMA Music
CMA CM 10007
• 1994: Yellow Boogie & Blues, Oldie Blues OLCD
7006 (recorded 1994)
3
• 1997: The Red One, Oldie Blues OLCD 7005
(recorded June 1997)
• 2006: Little Willie Littlefield Live, Schubert Records
SCH-205 (recorded live in Germany, April 20,
2006)
• 2008: Old Time Feeling, Stormy Monday 81242[14]
2.3 Selected compilation albums
• 1977: K.C. Loving, K.C. 101 (LP)
• 1980: Volume 1, Ace 10 CH 24 (10” 8-track album)
• 1981: Volume 2, Ace 10 CH 34 (10” 8-track album)
• 1984: Jump with Little Willie Littlefield, Ace CHD
114
• 1993: I'm in the Mood, Oldie Blues OLCD 7002
(recorded 1982, 1983)
• 1995: Going Back to Kay Cee, Ace CDCHD 503
• 1999: Kat on the Keys, Ace CDCHD 736
• 2005: Boogie, Blues and Bounce: The Modern
Recordings Volume 2, Ace CDCHD 1056
3 See also
• List of blues musicians
• List of boogie woogie musicians
• List of West Coast blues musicians
• List of jump blues musicians
• West Coast blues
• Chicago Blues Festival
• San Francisco Blues Festival
4 References
[1] Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of
Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181.
ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
[2] Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional
Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 400.
ISBN 978-0313344237.
[3] Dahl, Bill. “Little Willie Littlefield: Biography”. AllMu-
sic. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
[4] McArdle, Terence. “Little Willie Littlefield, Blues Singer,
Boogie-Woogie Pianist, Dies at 81”. Washington Post.
Retrieved 2013-07-04.
4 5 EXTERNAL LINKS

[5] Topping, Ray, Kat On The Keys, liner notes, CDCHD 736
(1999)

[6] Topping, Ray (1984). Sleeve notes to Jump with Little

Willie Littlefield. Ace Records CHD114.

[7] Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–

1995. Record Research. p. 271.

[8] “Original Versions of Happy Pay Off Day Written by Jack

Holmes”. Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 19 January
2015.

[9] Olderen, Martin van (1993). Liner notes to I'm in the

Mood. OLCD 7002.

[10] “boogie lecture”. Ukboogiewoogiefestival.co.uk. Re-

trieved 19 January 2015.

[11] “Live Music, Blues, Soul, RandB, Shakedown Blues, Pe-

terborough, UK”. Shakedownblues.co.uk. Retrieved 19
January 2015.

[12] Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson

to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 137. ISBN
1-85868-255-X.

[13] "Paris Streetlights". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7,

2011.

[14] "Old Time Feeling". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7,

2011.

5 External links
• Biography at Allmusic
• Little Willie Littlefield discography compiled by
Pete Hoppula
• Little Willie Littlefield discography at Discogs

• Little Willie Littlefield discography at Rate Your

Music

• Little Willie Littlefield 2005 performance of

“Kansas City” on YouTube
 5

6 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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