AVIDIGI

Biography: Homesick James Williamson was born in Fayette County Tennessee sometime between 1905 and 1910. He learned to play the guitar at the age of ten, and shortly thereafter began his music career. Homesick's travels took the guitarist through Mississippi and North Carolina during the 1920s, where he crossed paths with Yank Rachell, Sleepy John Estes, Blind Boy Fuller, and Big Joe Williams. Homesick taught himself to play bottleneck-style guitar, but was influenced much by his cousin the legendary Elmore James. Homesick developed an unusual tuning on his guitar that also may have contributed to his unique slide technique. He tuned his guitar a full five steps below concert pitch down to the key of "B", which gave the low frets of his guitar an almost barritone effect. Coupled with his slide playing in the higher register the sounds he created were quite different than anyone else at the time. Settling in Chicago during the 1930s, Homesick played local clubs and recorded for RCA Victor in 1937. He continued to work the Chicago clubs and eventually made some of his finest sides in 1952-53 for Art Sheridan's Chance Records (including the classic "Homesick" that gave him his enduring stage name). Later that same decade and into the 1960's he recorded singles for Atomic-H, USA, Colt, and Spivey. Some of these sessions yeilded hits and some never saw the light of day. Homesick built up a reputation as a live act playing clubs on Chicago's South side and in addition to that he also worked extensively as a sideman. He found work backing harp greats Sonny Boy Williamson and Snooky Pryor as well as his cousin, Elmore James (to whom Homesick is stylistically indebted). He also recorded with James during the 1950s. Homesick recorded arguably his best LP in 1964, "Blues On the South Side" for the Prestige label. In 1965 he contributed four tracks on a Vanguard anthology, the now legendary "Chicago...The Blues...Today!" Homesick continued to perform and record for many different labels including Delmark, Earwig, Big Bear and others well into his 90's. He was a staple at the Chicago Blues Festival performing every year alongside other Blues veterans like Aron Burton, Robert Junior Lockwood, Honeyboy Edwards and more. Homesick James passed away in 2006.