John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson

Mitsutoshi Inaba offers the first full-length biography of this key figure in the evolution of the Chicago blues. Interviews with Sonny Boy's family members and his last harmonica student provide new insights into the character of the man as well as the techniques of the musician.

Mitsutoshi Inaba holds a doctorate in musicology and ethnomusicology from the University of Oregon. He currently teaches courses on African American studies with a focus on music at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He is the author of Willie Dixon: Preacher of the Blues (2011).

Chapter 1: Learning the Blues: Jackson, Tennessee: 1914-1937 Chapter 2: Reaching New Heights: St. Louis and Aurora, Illinois: 1937-1938 Chapter 3: Windy City Blues: Chicago: 1939-1943 Chapter 4: The Sound of Bronzeville: 1943-1948 Chapter 5:The Final Days: 1948 Epilogue Sonny Boy's Legacy: 1948-Present