Talk:Sonny Boy Williamson I

Renaming

Opening up discussion on the (previously undiscussed) article renaming of Sonny Boy Williamson I to Sonny Boy Williamson (1914–1948). Personally, I'm less opposed to this renaming than I am to the renaming of SBW II as SBW (died 1965) - I think because there is widespread acceptance in the sources that SBW II is an appropriate name for the person born Aleck/Alex Miller. This, the original, SBW, is known variously as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson (he used his real surname), or SBW I, or by his dates of birth and death. (SBW II's year of birth remains uncertain.) So, I can live with this retitling, even though it's not consistent with the other one - I think consistency in these matters is grossly overrated when we should be considering what makes most sense to readers. I'd welcome other views. Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:55, 13 March 2015 (UTC)

As Yogi Berra said (not to be confused with Yogi Bear), "It's like deja-vu all over again":

Article titles should follow WP policy (see WP:Article titles). WP:RECOGNIZABLE includes "Wikipedia prefers the name that is most commonly used (as determined by its prevalence in reliable English-language sources) as such names will be the most recognizable and the most natural." A quick review of RSs shows the following used:

• Sonny Boy Williamson I: Dahl (AllMusic bio), Gordon (Muddy Waters bio), Komara (Blues Encyclopedia), Barry (How to Play the Harmonica), Cummings-Yeats (Exploring Chicago Blues: Inside the Scene, Past and Present), Romano (Big Boss Man), Stanton (The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians), Yerxa (Harmonica For Dummies), Millward (Changing Times: Music and Politics in 1964), Carroll (When Your Way Gets Dark: A Rhetoric of the Blues), Dance (Stormy Monday: The T-Bone Walker Story)
• John Lee Williamson a.k.a. Sonny Boy Williamson I: Devi (The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu), Morris (Billboard), Tracy (Write Me a Few of Your Lines: A Blues Reader), Obrecht (Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists)
• John Lee Sonny Boy Williamson I: Glover (Blues with a Feeling: The Little Walter Story)
• Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 1) (John Lee Williamson): O'Neil (Blues Hall of Fame)
• John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson: O'Neil (Blues Hall of Fame uses both), Gioia (Delta Blues), Palmer (Deep Blues), Gillett (Sound of the City), Dicaire (Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century), Herzhaft (Encylcopedia of the Blues), Humphrey (Chess Essential SBWII), Arhoolie (King Biscuit Time), Larkin (The Virgin Encyclopedia of The Blues)
• John Lee Curtis Sonny Boy Williamson: headstone
• the first Sonny Boy Williamson: Dixon (autobiography)

It appears that the "most commonly used" and "most recognizable" is "Sonny Boy Williamson I", followed by "John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson" (no listings for "Sonny Boy Williamson (1914–1948)"). To increase my frequent flyer miles, I will now be known as "Sonny Boy Williamson" a.k.a. Ojorojo (talk) 15:18, 14 March 2015 (UTC)

I've pinged Rms125a@hotmail.com, who moved it to the current title. On balance I think it would be best to revert to the SBWI name, unless there are very strong arguments in favour of something different. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:50, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

OK, do what you guys think is best. I guess I was too bold. Quis separabit? 12:11, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

Thanks - I've returned it to the original name. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:35, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

The best choice, IMO. A standardized phrase or short paragraph should be worked into both articles that outlines that over the years, SBWI and SBWII have become the most frequently used designations for the two by music writers and historians. It might save us from having to repeat this. Maybe something like:

With renewed interest in blues in the 1960s, music writers and historians devised a simple way to differentiate the two popular blues harp stylists and vocalists, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson and Rice Miler "Sonny Boy Williamson" . Since John Lee's recording career and popularity came first, he is designated "Sonny Boy Williamson I". Rice Miller's recorded only after John Lee's death, so he became "Sonny Boy Williamson II". Over the years, these names have become the most widely used, but others also appear. Record companies, however, usually rely on liner notes for their releases to explain who the artist is, since the name "Sonny Boy Williamson" was historically used on record labels for both artists.

Any suggestions? —Ojorojo (talk) 19:35, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

Do we have any sources that actually discuss the naming question itself? Ghmyrtle (talk) 20:48, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

I think it was framed more as "came to be known" or "is commonly referred to". I'll look at it tomorrow. —Ojorojo (talk) 21:17, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

How about:

With two popular blues harp stylists and vocalists sharing the name "Sonny Boy Williamson", they later acquired different titles to distinguish them. Since John Lee's recording career and popularity came first, he is designated "Sonny Boy Williamson I". Rice Miller's came second and he became "Sonny Boy Williamson II". Over the years, these names have become the most widely used, but others also appear. Record companies, however, usually rely on liner notes for their releases to explain who the artist is, since the name "Sonny Boy Williamson" was historically used on record labels for both artists.

—Ojorojo (talk) 17:07, 18 March 2015 (UTC)

I would prefer a clearer wording. Without reading all of the source material - an important caveat, I acknowledge - I would prefer something along these lines:

The recordings made by John Lee Williamson between 1937 and his death in 1948, and those made by "Rice" Miller between 1941 and his death in 1965, were all originally issued under the name Sonny Boy Williamson. It is believed that Miller adopted the name to suggest to audiences, and his first record label, that he was the "original" Sonny Boy. In order to differentiate between the two musicians, most later scholars and biographers, and most record labels responsible for reissuing their recordings, now refer to Williamson (1914-1948) as "Sonny Boy Williamson I", and Miller (c.1912-1965) as "Sonny Boy Williamson II".

Ghmyrtle (talk) 20:50, 21 March 2015 (UTC)

I'm not sure about the "most record labels responsible for reissuing their recordings, now refer..." Looking through images of albums at Discogs for the two[1][2], it appears that "SBW" usually appears on album covers for both. Change as you see fit. (I think you mean "made by 'Rice' Miller between 1951 and his death in 1965") —Ojorojo (talk) 18:48, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

I take the point about the reissue labels. It seems from the SBWII article that he first started being billed under the SBW name in 1941, by the sponsors of the King Biscuit Time radio show, and then the billing was continued when he started recording ten years later. I need to check the sources, and will try to come up with an improved and more correct form of words for this paragraph. Incidentally, I think that both the SBWII and SBWI articles could do with some more work, but I'm not sure whether it's something I can get round to in the short term. Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:17, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

How about:

The recordings made by John Lee Williamson between 1937 and his death in 1948, and those made later by "Rice" Miller, were all originally issued under the name Sonny Boy Williamson. It is believed that Miller adopted the name to suggest to audiences, and his first record label, that he was the "original" Sonny Boy. In order to differentiate between the two musicians, many later scholars and biographers now refer to Williamson (1914-1948) as "Sonny Boy Williamson I", and Miller (c.1912-1965) as "Sonny Boy Williamson II".

Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:26, 26 March 2015 (UTC)

OK w/refs (Barry pp. 89–90 provides a good summary[3]). —Ojorojo (talk) 14:28, 26 March 2015 (UTC)

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