CHICAGO — Rap royalty Chuck D, the preeminent voice of Public Enemy, ventured to the world’s largest blues festival in June to both testify about and pay homage to the immortal music that created all other American forms of music, including hip hop: the Blues.
“The Blues is, just as Willie Dixon said, the roots,” says journalist and blues historian Brenda Willis of Jackson, Miss.
“All other forms of music are the fruit, because all other forms derive from the blues. You can hear the blues chords in just about every gospel song, every rock song. You’re going to hear the 12, the 8,” added Willis, who is a tireless volunteer for the Willis Dixon foundation in Chicago.
Never heard of Willie Dixon? Yes, you have, you just didn’t know you were listening to him or listening to artists influenced by him. He’s the most prolific blues singer of the 20th century with over 500 recorded songs. And the late Dixon was also the most robbed musical artist of the 20th century.
The biggest and most beloved rock bands have illegally recorded songs by Dixon without giving him credit. The list is endless — Led Zepplin, the Who, Eric Clapton, the Stix, the Rolling Stones and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. And that’s just a beginning list, says Willis.
And let’s not even mention those who have been influenced by the blues — The Beatles, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and, of course, Elvis.
“Elvis in Mississippi — that’s where he learned how to play the blues (in Tupelo, Miss),” Willis added.
Blues has such a powerful allure that it convinced two Dallas music lovers to play hooky from work and head up to Chicago early, as they’re attending a convention here next week.
“I had to come in early to see the blues,“ said Ann Hamilton.
When asked what she loves about the blues, she simply replied, “Everything,”
“It just sets you on fire,” said friend and coworker Carey Blunt. “It gets your soul going.” —terry shropshire
