‘Homesick James Obituary’ – by Keith Woods, from Tales From The Woods
“Homesick” James 1910-2006 John William Henderson, better known to blues fans as “Homesick” James Williamson, has died aged 96 at his home in Springfield, Missouri on December 13th, 2006. He was born in Somerville, Tennessee, probably in 1910, possibly 1914.
It is not always easy to sort out the facts of his life from the tales he told (he claimed to have written Blue Suede Shoes and given it to Sam Phillips), but there is no doubt he played alongside many of the blues greats from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. Although he had some success under his own name, most of the time until late in his life he was destined to play sideman to many big names.
He taught himself to play guitar, and by age 14 he was playing at local venues and events. He learnt his trade playing alongside John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, Yank Rachell, Hammie Nixon, Sleepy John Estes, Blind Boy Fuller and many others, and by age 20 he had his own band, The Dusters, which at one time had Albert King on drums, and also featured Baby Face Leroy and a young Snooky Pryor.
He recorded for RCA and Vocalion in the late 1930’s and in the 1940’s moved to Memphis, where he formed a partnership with harmonica player Big Walter Horton. In the 1950’s he moved north to Chicago, where he became part of the Maxwell Street scene, and played alongside the earlier generation of players like Memphis Minnie (his girlfriend for many years), Big Bill Broonzy, Lonnie Johnson, Tampa Red, Yank Rachell, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Roosevelt Sykes, Henry Townsend, Sunnyland Slim, as well as the new generation emerging from the south in the postwar years, such as Junior Wells, Little Walter Jacobs, and his cousin Elmore James, whom he claims to have taught guitar. Between 1955 and 1963 he played in Elmore’s band, and appeared on many of their classic recordings. Much of the time he was working in the steel mills by day, and in the clubs by night. Following Elmore James’ death in 1963, he cut his first album “Blues From The South Side”. (A collection of his 1950’s singles had previously been issued on LP).
In 1973 he was invited to Europe on The American Blues Legends tour. He persuaded Snooky Pryor (see above) to join him, and they returned several times, making several albums together including “Homesick James and Snooky Pryor” and “Sad And Lonesome”.
During the 1990’s he experienced a revival, making several strong albums, including “ Going Back In The Times” (1992), “Got To Move” (1994) and “Last of The Broomdusters” (1997). In his later years, he became part of the Delta Blues Cartel, along with Henry Townsend, David “Honeyboy” Edwards and Robert Lockwood Jr. They played together at many blues festivals and concert halls in North America and Europe.
His last recording was “My Home Ain’t Here” in 2004, and his last professional gig was the Maryport, England Blues Festival July 29, 2006 where he performed as a headliner along with Robert Lockwood, Jr. and Honeyboy Edwards. Although his health was failing, he looked sharp and played well.
Recommended listening). Got To Move (32 Blues, 1994).
Keith Woods
Wikipedia Entry:
Homesick James (April 30, 1910– December 13, 2006) was an American blues musician known for his mastery of the slide guitar. He recorded covers of “Stones in My Passway” and “Homesick”. He worked with his cousin, Elmore James, and with Sonny Boy Williamson II. His birth name is variously reported as John William Henderson, James Williams, or James Williamson.
He was born in Somerville, Tennessee, the son of Cordellia Henderson and Plez Williamson Rivers, who were both musicians. The year of his birth is uncertain. He stated that he was born in 1905, 1910, or 1914, while his union records give 1924.
Little is known about his early life. He developed a self-taught style of slide guitar through playing at local dances in his teens. He claimed to have played with Yank Rachell, Sleepy John Estes, Blind Boy Fuller, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Big Joe Williams, among others, and to have been acquainted with Robert Johnson. He also claimed to be the older cousin of Elmore James, to have bought James his first guitar, and to have taught him how to play slide. However, some of these claims are unconfirmed.
In 1932 he relocated to Chicago, Illinois, working with Horace Henderson’s band at the Circle Inn and with the pianist Jimmy Walker at the Square Deal Club. He may have first recorded for RCA Victor in 1937, but this is also unconfirmed, and by 1938 may have begun playing electric guitar. His first known recordings were in 1952 for Chance Records, recording the tracks “Lonesome Ole Train” and “Homesick”, which gave him his stage name. During the late 1940s and 1950s he worked with Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller), and with Elmore James, and in the early 1950s he worked in bands including Baby Face Leroy Foster, Snooky Pryor, Floyd Jones, and Lazy Bill Lucas. He was a member of Elmore James’s band from 1955 to 1963, contributing to such tracks as “Dust My Broom,” “The Sky Is Crying,” and “Roll and Tumble.” Elmore James is said to have died on Homesick’s couch, while the latter frantically searched for the former’s heart pills.
As a solo performer, he recorded for the Colt and USA labels in 1962, including a cover version of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads”. His slide guitar style, not as refined as Elmore James’s, traces back to Johnson’s. He also recorded a 1964 album for Prestige Records, Blues on the South Side (Prestige OBCCD 529-2), including another of his best-known covers, “Stones in My Passway”, and some tracks for Vanguard, which are available on the compilation album Chicago: The Blues Today.
One of his own songs, “Gotta Move” (also on Blues on the South Side) was covered (as “Got to Move”) by Elmore James and by Fleetwood Mac. He is mentioned by name in the 1989 song “Fergus Sings the Blues” by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, with the lyric “Homesick James, my biggest influence”.
Homesick James had a nickname of “Look Quick” due to his propensity for moving or disappearing off a scene seemingly on the spur of the moment. From 1972 through 2006, Homesick lived in Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Fresno and finally Springfield, Missouri, where he died at age 96.