Big Daddy Wilson
{{short description|American electric and soul blues singer and songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Big Daddy Wilson
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Adam Wilson Blount
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|08|19}}
| birth_place = Edenton, North Carolina, United States
| death_date =
| death_place =
| origin =
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = Electric blues, soul blues
| occupation = Singer, songwriter
| years_active = 1990s–present
| label = Ruf Records
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|bigdaddywilson.com/}}
}}
Big Daddy Wilson (born Adam Wilson Blount,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXGlDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Big+Daddy+Wilson%22.+%221958%22&pg=PA2463|title=A Blues Bibliography: Second Edition: Volume 2|first=Robert|last=Ford|date=24 July 2019|page=2463|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351398480|access-date=3 March 2021|via=Google Books}} August 19, 1960){{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZNfAQAAQBAJ&q=%22Big+Daddy+Wilson%22.+%22Adam+Wilson+Blount%22&pg=PA333|title=Blues: A Regional Experience|first1=Bob L.|last1=Eagle|first2=Eric S.|last2=LeBlanc|date=1 May 2013|page=333|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313344244|access-date=3 March 2021|via=Google Books}} is an American electric and soul blues singer and songwriter. Most of his solo recordings have been released by the German record label, Ruf Records. To date, Wilson has appeared on more than a dozen albums.
Wilson has lived in Germany for almost thirty years.
Life and career
The son of John Henry Wilson and Dorothy Lee Blount, Adam Wilson Blount was born in Edenton, North Carolina, United States. A shy boy, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, and worked in the cotton and tobacco plantations during his childhood and most of his teenage years. Wilson sang in his local church choir, and gospel and country music from a local radio station was the only music he heard during that time. He left school aged 16 and two years later enrolled in the United States Army in 1979, mainly due to job prospects being scarce where he lived. Wilson was stationed in military bases in Germany, and he quickly became homesick. Using the ruse of pretending he was due to be married, the Army sent him back to the United States for a fortnight. Wilson remained for six weeks before his mother urged him to return to the military, which saw him promptly posted back to Germany. In his leisure time, Wilson attended a blues concert and the experience changed his life. He had been writing poems in his spare time, and following an honorable discharge from military service, he remained in Germany and tried to fuse his lyrical ability and singing voice, a rich, warm, low baritone. Using the blues as his base, and inspired by other American blues musicians who had found success in Europe, Wilson overcame his shyness and began singing at venues in his adopted home. Finding acceptance, Wilson travelled further afield finding opportunities across the Continent. After a while Wilson met a German girl, whom he married and wrote a poem about his wife, which became the first solo song he recorded.
After five years of working on stage, the Hungarian record label, Crossroad Records, teamed Wilson with another Hungarian product, the Mississippi Grave Diggers (a blues band) to record his first album, Get on Your Knees and Pray. It found some success, being played by radio stations and at military bases in Europe and Asia. His follow up occurred the same year, when he teamed with Doc Fozz (Wolfgang Feld) on My Day Will Come. Wilson used the two albums to spur him on, working on stage and at music festivals, as his fan base began to grow. Some years ago, Big Daddy Wilson informed his interviewer that the reason he wears sunglasses on stage, is down to his shy nature.{{Cite web|url=https://www.donstunes.com/big-daddy-wilson/|title=Big Daddy Wilson|date=22 May 2019|website=Donstunes.com|access-date=3 March 2021}} Another collaboration with Doc Fozz, saw Doin' It Right being released in 2007. He signed to the German record label, Ruf Records in 2009, which gave him an international breakthrough album with Love Is the Key, which elevated his presence. He recorded with a small backing ensemble, often acoustically managed, and sang his own material. His friend Eric Bibb guested on two songs, "Country Boy" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes". Thumb a Ride was the next release in 2011. Live in Luxembourg at L'inoui (2013) was a live recording, which was sandwiched between two collections released by the French-based DixieFrog label. These were I'm Your Man and Time. I'm Your Man was issued in April 2013 and included his own compositions, along with the Eric Bibb penned "Hold The Ladder". Time came out in April 2015, and moved between acoustic and electric soul blues numbers. It was jointly produced by Big Daddy Wilson, Eric Bibb and Staffan Astner; all of whom co-wrote most of the songs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metisse-music.com/en/artists/Big%20Daddy%20Wilson|title=Metisse Music – Big Daddy Wilson|website=Metisse-music.com|access-date=3 March 2021}} In 2013, Wilson performed at the Paris Jazz Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.parisjazzclub.net/en/23751/concert/2013/06/22/big-daddy-wilson|title=Big Daddy Wilson | Saturday June, 22nd 2013 – 5:30 PM @ Paris Jazz Festival – Parc Floral|website=Parisjazzclub.net|access-date=3 March 2021}} Wilson noted, as his confidence on stage grew, "My sister came all the way to see me perform and she couldn't believe it. No, that's not my brother. It seems like all my shyness was gone – thanks to my music."{{Cite web|url=http://bigdaddywilson.com/bio|title=Big Daddy Wilson – Bio|website=Bigdaddywilson.com|access-date=3 March 2021}}
Wilson was a featured artist on the Kai Strauss album, Getting Personal, which was released in January 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/getting-personal-mw0003033103/credits|title=Getting Personal – Kai Strauss | Credits | AllMusic|access-date=3 March 2021|website=AllMusic}} Wilson's next album, Neckbone Stew (2017), released by Ruf, appeared in blues charts across the globe, which let Wilson appear at some of the most prestigious blues and jazz festivals. His now almost constant touring was combined by Ruf Records, to allow a collaboration with Vanessa Collier and Si Cranstoun for the live recording, Blues Caravan 2017. "Unchain My Heart", "Bring It On Home to Me", and "Twistin' the Night Away" were standards covered on the Blues Caravan 2017 album. Wilson sang solo on the tracks "Cross Creek Road" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes".{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/blues-caravan-2017/1353591915|title=Blues Caravan 2017 by Big Daddy Wilson, Si Cranstoun & Vanessa Collier|access-date=3 March 2021|website=Music.apple.com}} Despite the album's title, it was released in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/162846|title=Big Daddy Wilson | SecondHandSongs|website=Secondhandsongs.com|access-date=3 March 2021}} In addition, Wilson recorded his own live offering, Songs from the Road, which was jointly issued as a DVD and CD.
His global touring included dates in Australia, which incorporated a performance at The Blues on Broadbeach Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://thelittleboxoffice.com/heritagehotel/event/view/41786|title=Big Daddy Wilson|website=Thelittleboxoffice.com|access-date=3 March 2021}} This exposure saw some of Wilson's recordings being released in Australia on ABC Music.
In mid-2018, Wilson entered an American recording studio for the first time, to undertake pre-production work, in conjunction with record producer Jim Gaines, guitarist Laura Chavez, plus bassist Dave Smith.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-daddy-wilson-mn0001026600/biography|title=Big Daddy Wilson | Biography & History|website=AllMusic|access-date=3 March 2021}} Further recording work took place the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The album contained 12 tracks of which ten were written by Wilson.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/big-daddy-wilson-deep-in-my-soul-album-review/|title=Big Daddy Wilson – Deep In My Soul | Album Review|first=Marty|last=Gunther|website=Bluesblastmagazine.com|access-date=3 March 2021}} Deep in My Soul was released on April 19, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2019/04/17/review-big-daddy-wilson-deep-in-my-soul/|title=Review: Big Daddy Wilson 'Deep In My Soul'|first=Martine|last=Ehrenclou|date=18 April 2019|website=Rockandbluesmusic.com|access-date=3 March 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/heard-lately/heard-lately-13-big-daddy-wilson-deep-in-my-soul-review-17b11328ca2d|title=Heard Lately #13: Big Daddy Wilson-Deep in My Soul review|first=Steven|last=Ovadia|date=6 August 2019|website=Medium.com|access-date=3 March 2021}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-laura-chavez/|title=Featured Interview – Laura Chavez|first=Mark|last=Thompson|website=Bluesblastmagazine.com|access-date=February 26, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/deep-in-my-soul-mw0003248322/credits|title=Deep in My Soul – Big Daddy Wilson | Credits | AllMusic|access-date=February 26, 2021|website=AllMusic}}
Wilson was a guest on the Greg Copeland album, Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, issued in 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qobuz.com/lu-fr/album/brown-eyed-handsome-man-feat-big-daddy-wilson-greg-copeland/ny0a2a8qo5vmb|title=Album Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (feat. Big Daddy Wilson) de Greg Copeland | Qobuz : téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité|website=Qobuz.com|access-date=3 March 2021}}
Discography
=Solo albums=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year || Title || Record label(s) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Love Is the Key | style="text-align:center;"|Ruf Records |
| 2011 | Thumb a Ride | style="text-align:center;"|Ruf Records |
| 2013 | I'm Your Man | style="text-align:center;"|DixieFrog Records |
| 2013 | Live in Luxembourg at L'Inouï | style="text-align:center;"|Phamosa Records |
| 2015 | Time | style="text-align:center;"|DixieFrog Records |
| 2017 | Neckbone Stew | style="text-align:center;"|Ruf Records |
| 2018 | Songs from the Road | style="text-align:center;"|Ruf Records |
| 2019 | Deep in My Soul | style="text-align:center;"|Ruf Records |
| 2021 | Hard Time Blues | style="text-align:center;"|Continental Blue Heaven |
=Collaboration albums=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year || Title || Record label(s) || Credited to | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Get on Your Knees and Pray | style="text-align:center;"|Crossroads Records | Big Daddy Wilson & Mississippi Grave Diggers |
| 2004 | My Day Will Come | style="text-align:center;"|Crossroads Records | Big Daddy Wilson & Doc Fozz |
| 2007 | Doin' It Right | style="text-align:center;"|New Music Distribution | Big Daddy Wilson & Doc Fozz |
| 2018 | Blues Caravan 2017 | style="text-align:center;"|Ruf Records | Big Daddy Wilson, Vanessa Collier, Si Cranstoun |
| 2021 | Pay Day | style="text-align:center;"|Juno Records | Big Daddy Wilson & Hans Theesssink |
| 2023 | Plan B | style="text-align:center;"|Continental Blue Heaven | Big Daddy Wilson & the Goosebumps Bros. |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.bigdaddywilson.com/ Official website]
- [https://www.metisse-music.com/en/artists/Big%20Daddy%20Wilson Big Daddy Wilson & Eric Bibb – "Hold the Ladder" (music and video)]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Big Daddy}}
Category:American blues singers
Category:American male singers
Category:Singers from North Carolina
Category:Songwriters from North Carolina
Category:Electric blues musicians
Category:People from Edenton, North Carolina
Category:American emigrants to Germany