Floyd Dixon
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Biography
[Edit]West Coast jump blues singer and pianist Floyd Dixon was a vital link in the evolution from swing to R&B. The self-appointed "Mr. Magnificent," his energetic, raucous sound was a seminal influence on Ray Charles, anticipating the emergence of modern soul music by more than a decade. Born Jay Riggins, Jr., on February 8, 1929, in Marshall, TX, Dixon grew up not far from the Louisiana border, absorbing the blues, gospel, and roots music of bayou country. As a child he taught himself piano, and after his family relocated to Los Angeles in 1942 he worked as a drugstore clerk and golf caddie. Dixon later studied hotel management and pursued a career in professional football, but music remained his passion. After claiming top honors in a series of L.A. amateur showcases, he cut his debut single at the behest of bandleader Johnny Otis, issuing "Houston Jump" on the Swing Time label in 1948. With his mellow, after-hours blues approach, the fledgling Dixon earned endless comparisons to Charles Brown, who became his mentor and installed him in bassist Eddie Williams' band, the Brown Buddies. Dixon also signed a solo deal with Modern Records, scoring his first local hit with 1949's "Dallas Blues." "Mississippi Blues" followed a year later and proved a smash in the Deep South. Over the span of successive releases including "Cow Town," "Gloomy Baby," and "Shuffle Boogie," Dixon began developing his own signature sound, channeling the gospel and Delta blues influences of his youth to forge a gritty, dynamic approach that forecast the birth of rock & roll. While on tour with a young Ray Charles, he even suggested Charles shift away from Nat King Cole-inspired pop and "try it with more of a gospel flavor."
Aladdin Records acquired Dixon's contract with Modern in late 1950, immediately pairing him with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers for "Telephone Blues," his first nationwide hit. "Doin' the Town" quickly followed, and across 1951 Aladdin flooded the market with Dixon material, including "Walking and Talking Blues," "Let's Dance," "Empty Stocking Blues," and "Do I Love You." The deluge proved more than radio or retail could bear and none of the singles made much commercial impact. Not until June 1952 did Dixon score his next significant hit, "Wine Wine Wine." He spent much of the remaining year touring the Midwest and Southern U.S. in support of the follow-up, "The River," highlighted by an extended residency at Kansas City's Orchid Room. After a few more Aladdin releases, most notably "Broken Hearted Traveler" and the Jerry Lieber/Mike Stoller-penned "Too Much Jelly Roll," Dixon jumped to Art Rupe's Specialty imprint, making his label debut in mid-1953 with "Hard Living Alone." "Hole in the Wall" followed by year's end, but neither was a hit, and when the same fate befell 1954's "Ooh Ee, Ooh Eee," the company terminated his contract. Dixon soon resurfaced on Atlantic's Cat subsidiary with "Moonshine." Its successor, "Hey Bartender," would prove his most enduring hit, thanks in large part to a reverential Blues Brothers cover issued nearly a quarter century later.
While his sound and style clearly predated modern R&B and rock & roll, Dixon was nevertheless lost in the shuffle as a new generation of artists began dominating the charts, and during the mid-'50s he wandered between L.A. independent labels like Pearl, Cash, and Ebb to little success. He continued touring into the early '60s before virtually disappearing from sight, living in seclusion in Paris, TX. When the Swedish label Route 66 issued a 1975 compilation of Dixon's classic postwar material to great acclaim across Europe, he traveled overseas to mount his first tour in over a decade, later joining Ruth Brown and old friend Charles Brown on the European Blues Caravan. Dixon also toured with then-unknown Robert Cray and Little Charlie & the Nightcats, and in 1984 was commissioned by the Los Angeles Olympic Games organizing committee to write "Olympic Blues." The Rhythm and Blues Foundation awarded Dixon its Pioneer Career Achievement Award in 1993, earning him gigs at the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Chicago Blues Festival. Three years later, Alligator Records issued his W.C. Handy Comeback Album of the Year Award-winning concert LP, Wake Up and Live! Fine! Fine! Thing! followed on HighJohn in 2005, and despite failing health, Dixon teamed with fellow pianists Pinetop Perkins and Henry Clay for a brief tour in June 2006. He died of cancer weeks later at the age of 77.
Collections
Title: New Coat of Paint - Songs of Tom Waits
Genre: Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative, Songwriter/Lyricist
Title: Jump Blue: Rockin' the Jukes
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Ultimate Rock N' Roll Drinkers & Sinners
Genre: Rock
Title: Blues, Blues Christmas (1925-1955)
Genre: Blues
Title: Vinyl Lounge - Lost Jazz & Blues Masters
Genre: Jazz
Title: The Most Essential Jump Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Fats Domino & The Rhythm & Blues Friends
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Lookin' Better Every Beer
Genre: Country
Title: Best of Jump Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Rare Jump Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Red Hot Blues
Genre: World Music
Title: Golden West Coast Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The Aladdin Records Story
Genre: Pop
Title: 100 African American R&B '50s Masters
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1950, Vol. 5
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1950, Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1954, Vol. 7
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: United States of Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues in the Bar - Blues Drinkin' Songs
Genre: Blues
Title: American Blues Balladeers
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of Electric Chicago Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Favorite St. Patrick's Day Songs
Genre: Folk Rock, Songwriter/Lyricist
Title: Dance Hall Killers
Genre: Rock
Title: Kiss Me I'm Irish
Genre: World Music
Title: Singin' the Blues, Vol. 2
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1949, Vol. 5
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Top 20 Texas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Boogie Woogie, Vol. 6
Genre: Blues
Title: Chess Blues (Box Set)
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1952, Vol. 4
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Big Hits & Highlights of 1952 Volume 25
Genre: Pop
Title: 100 Christmas Blues - Songs to Get You Through the Cold
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Story 1
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Fiesta
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1954, Vol. 9
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: 100 Christmas Blues - Songs to Get You Through the Cold
Genre: Blues
Title: The Most Essential R&B Classics
Genre: Blues
Title: 100 Proof Drinking Songs
Genre: Country
Title: Los Angeles Rhythm & Blues 1944-54
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Happy Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: American Blues Scene: The 90s
Genre: Blues
Title: Rockin' Those Blues Away
Genre: Blues
Title: Rare West Coast Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Speaking of the Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Contemporary Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Amazing Blues - Time for a Drink
Genre: Blues
Title: Essential Smooth Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Dirty Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues: Home Is Where the Heart Is
Genre: Blues
Title: Bluesin' USA
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest Blues Hangover
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues with a Punchline
Genre: Blues
Title: West Coast Blues Nuggets
Genre: Blues
Title: Chillin' in the Name of...Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The Ultimate Blues Piano Collection
Genre: Blues
Title: American Blues Geography
Genre: Blues
Title: Hits of Jump Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Essential Drinking Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues in the Bottle: Boozing Songs
Genre: Blues
Title: Rare Texas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of West Coast Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues 'N Booze
Genre: Blues
Title: Archive Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Hits of Jazz Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Sex, Rhythm & Blues
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Blues Roots & Folk Music
Genre: Blues
Title: The Most Essential Texas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The Complete Cat Records Story Volume #2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Featuring albums
Title: Music From and Inspired By The Motion Picture 'Devil In A Blue Dress'
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Blues, Jazz, Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Wow, Wow, Baby! 1950s R&B, Blues and Gospel From Dolphin's of Hollywood
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Blues
Title: Rare Soul, Doo-Wop, Rhythm & Harmony, Vol. 1
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: ‘50s Blues: The Forgotten Classics / '50s Blues: The Forgotten Classics
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues
Title: Jody Williams In Session: Diary Of A Chicago Bluesman (1954-62)
Artist: Jody Williams
Genre: Blues
Title: The Singles Collection 1945 - 52
Artist: Johnny Moore'S Three Blazers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul