Floyd Dixon
Wikimp3 information about the music of Floyd Dixon. On our website we have 16 albums and 70 collections of artist Floyd Dixon. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Floyd Dixon represents Blues genres.
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: Discover Blues Piano
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues By Numbers
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Story CD 20
Genre: Blues
Title: The Specialty Story CD 3
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: ABC Of The Blues CD 09
Genre: Blues
Title: Let Me Tell You About The Blues: West Coast
Genre: Blues
Title: The R&B Hits 1950 (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Blues Blues Christmas Vol. 1 (1925-1955) (CD2)
Genre: Blues
Title: Roots Of Rock N' Roll Vol. 6, 1950 (CD2)
Genre: Rock & Roll
Title: Atlantic Blues: Piano
Title: Rhythm & Blues - Original Masters (Cd 2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: House Rockin' And Blues Shoutin'!
Genre: Blues
Title: Electric Blues 2005 Part1 Beginnings 1939-1954 (CD1)
Genre: Blues
Title: The Chess Story 1947-1975 (CD06)
Genre: Blues
Title: Traveling Man: A Blues Travel Guide
Genre: Blues
Title: Rock 'N' Roll Fever! The Wildest From Specialty
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rockabilly
Title: Late Night Blues: An After Hours Anthology
Genre: Blues
Title: Atlantic Blues 49-70 (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: The Alladdin Records Story (CD1)
Genre: Blues
Title: The Alladdin Records Story (CD2)
Genre: Blues
Title: Vocalists Of The 50ies (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Vocalists Of The 50ies (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Let Me... West Coast (CD 2)
Genre: Blues
Title: Electro Blues Vol. 2 (CD2)
Genre: Electronica, Industrial, Electro, Dancefloor, Synth Pop, EBM
Title: DJ Andy Smith's Jam Up Twist
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rockabilly
Title: Mafia 2 (Radio Soundtrack) (Delta Radio)
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 3: " After Midnite ") (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 3 " After Midnite ") (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 3 " After Midnite ") (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 3 " After Midnite ") (CD4)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 4 - Guitar In My Hand) (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 4: Guitar In My Hand) (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 4: Guitar In My Hand) (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 4: Guitar In My Hand) (CD4)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 5 " Hard Luck Blues ") (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 5 " Hard Luck Blues ") (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 5 " Hard Luck Blues ") (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: Blues Connection (Vol. 5 " Hard Luck Blues ") (CD4)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues
Title: R&B Years 1953 (CD4)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: R&B Years 1952 (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: R&B Years 1952 (CD4)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Living The Blues ~ Blues Classics 1950-1952
Genre: Blues
Title: 100 Blues Hits 2015 (CD1)
Genre: Blues
Title: 100 Blues Hits 2015 (CD2)
Genre: Blues
Title: Chess Blues (CD3)
Genre: Blues
Title: Worry Worry Worry: 22 Rare Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Rhythm & Blues: Original Masters
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: The Ace Blues Masters, Vol. 1: Sing My Blues Tonight
Genre: Blues
Title: The R&B Years 1955: Vol. 1 (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Alligator Blues Piano
Genre: Blues
Title: Dirty Blues - The Ultimate Collection (CD2)
Genre: Blues
Title: Capitol Blues Collection: The Cocktail Combos (CD3)
Genre: Blues
Title: Super Rare Electric Blues '60s Era (CD1)
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