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: Home Is Where the Blues Are
Genre: Blues
Title: Gunslinger Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The Blues - Spells & Dreams
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues - Dreams & Nightmares
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Jukbebox
Genre: Blues
Title: The Best of House Rockin' 1950's Rhythm & Blues
Genre: Rock
Title: Finest Blues Ballads
Genre: Blues
Title: House Rockin' 1950s Rhythm & Blues, Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: The Greatest Party Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Rare Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Story 3
Genre: Blues
Title: Love Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: West Coast Blues Ramblers
Genre: Blues
Title: R&B Soul Hits of the Past, Vol. 4
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Original St. Patrick's Day Music
Genre: World Music
Title: I Hate Christmas
Genre:
Title: Christmas for Grinches
Genre: Traditional Pop Music
Title: Best of Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Top 20 Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Top 20 West Coast Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: True Blues - 24 Rare Blues Tracks
Genre: Blues
Title: Drink the Day Away!
Genre: Blues
Title: The Alligator Records 25th Anniversary Collection
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1955, Vol. 5
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: The Definitive Collection of R&B Hits from 1950
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1951, Vol. 3
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1952, Vol. 1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: The Most Essential Jazz Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Christmas American Blues
Genre:
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1953, Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Top 20 Jump Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1949, Vol. 4
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Reading Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues from the Archives
Genre: Blues
Title: Bar Room Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Big Hits & Highlights of 1952 Volume 18
Genre: Pop
Title: Whorehouse Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Top 20 Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Ultimate Blues!
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R'n'B Hits of 1954, Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Rhythm & Booze: Vintage Drinking Songs, Vol. 1
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Life
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues for Christmas
Genre: Blues
Title: Big Hits and Highlights of 1954, Vol. 8
Genre: Pop
Title: Lost Blues & Old Time Folk Songs
Genre: Pop
Title: The Blues That Built America - Vol. 2
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of Jump Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Hits and Classic Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Saxophone Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues At Christmas Classic Blues Songs
Genre: Blues, Traditional Pop Music
Title: Blues Piano: On the Quiet Side
Genre: Blues
Title: Best West Coast Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues by the Numbers
Genre: Blues
Title: Rockabilly Blues and Boogie
Genre: Blues
Title: Rare Jazz Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Drinking With the Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Acoustic Chicago Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Hits of West Coast Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Piano Blues Nuggets
Genre: Blues
Title: Jazz Blues Nuggets
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Favorites for the Fall
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Story 2
Genre: Blues
Title: American Blues - Piano Pieces
Genre: Blues
Title: The Most Essential Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Early R&B Hits, Vol. 3
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: R&B Hits of 1951, Vol. 1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: A Beginners Guide to: Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Most Wanted 50s Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Hits of Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Best Piano Blues
Genre: Blues
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