Willie Willis - Blues, Food For The Soul

The best intentions, yadda, yadda,yadda...I AM compulsive -- 
This bad boy has been cropping up in torrents and websites all over the web lately. I must join the chorus; it may have taken 30 years to 'hit', but it is surely "da sh_t". Maybe it's recent popularity on the web will lead to a reissue.

"Willie Willis is one of those undiscovered Dallas blues treasures who, someday, is going to bust out of those tiny bars and move onto the festival circuit. Another overnight success, with 50 years of experience, just waiting for the right break. ...Despite his long career, Willie has only a handful of recordings in his own name. He has a distinctive original style, both on guitar and vocals, that is immediately recognizable....
"I'm from Fairfield, Texas, born December 12, 1932. We had a big family of 11. It was only myself and my older sister that took up music and she played for church all the time. My sister and my mom both wanted me to play with my sister in church. I came out wanting to play blues. I took the other side of it, so that was that.

I grew up listening to WSM in Nashville and John R's show in WLAC in Nashville. I was torn between two types of music at that time, hillbilly music and blues. Hank Williams Sr. was one guy then in the country field that I really loved. The man was just incredible. Not only was he a good song writer and singer, he had one of the best country bands that has ever been. He had some great musicians. Louis Jordan was tops in the black music field back then.

The first blues song I learned how to play was an old John Lee Hooker song, came out in 47, "Boogie Chillun". I started to carry my old guitar to school, sit out there at break time, and I'd have all the little girls gathered around me. I had all the peanut butter sandwiches I wanted to eat, if I trusted them! Anything I wanted, long as I played that one song. I was attracting so much attention out there my school teacher wrote a note to my mom. Not only did I get my behind tore up, I had to stop carrying my guitar. I was grounded, man! I missed all those peanut butter sandwiches! Those little girls just pulled up stakes and went on about their business...." you can find the rest of this interview HERE.