Willie Dixon

William James Dixon was one of the most important songwriter, producer, and behind-the-scenes architect of postwar Chicago blues. As a bassist, songwriter, arranger, producer, and talent scout for Chess Records throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he shaped the sound of the label's greatest artists. His compositions read like a greatest hits of the blues: 'Hoochie Coochie Man,' 'I Just Want to Make Love to You,' 'Spoonful,' 'Little Red Rooster,' 'Back Door Man,' 'I Can't Quit You Baby,' 'Wang Dang Doodle,' 'The Seventh Son,' and dozens more were recorded by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and others and subsequently covered by the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Cream, and the Doors. His royalty disputes with record labels made him a crusader for blues musicians' rights, and he founded the Blues Heaven Foundation to support aging blues artists.