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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMABON, Willie(b 24 Oct. '25, Memphis TN; d 19 April '85, Paris, France) R&B singer, pianist, also harmonica. To Chicago with family age 16; recorded for Apollo (as Big Willie), Aristocrat, then Chess: top ten R&B hits '52--4 with his own compositions 'I Don't Know' (covered by Buddy Morrow for the equivalent of a top 20 hit in the white chart; in fact an almost identical 'I Don't Know' had been recorded by Cripple Clarence Lofton '43), 'I'm Mad', 'Poison Ivy'. He subsequently recorded for Federal, Mad, Formal, USA; worked outside music late '60s; recorded for Antilles in Chicago and Black and Blue in France '72; appeared at Montreux Jazz Festival, recorded on America in France and on Big Bear in England with Mickey Baker, all in '73; many other festivals and club dates. A modern R&B performer using horns almost from the beginning, his hits were among those revived by early white R&B fans/performers such as Georgie Fame, thus influencing later pop music. |