Little Willy Foster

Little Willy Foster or Little Willie Foster (April 20, 1922^{[nb 1]} – November 25, 1987)^[4] was an American Chicago blues harmonicist, singer, and songwriter.

Biography

Foster was born in Dublin, Mississippi, United States.^[2] Born to Major Foster and Rosie Brown, Willy was raised on a plantation, around ten miles south of Clarksdale. His mother died when Willy was aged five and he was raised by his father, who was a local musician. Willy worked the fields from a young age and had little by way of a formal education. His father taught him to play the family's piano, although Willy later taught himself to master both the guitar and harmonica. By 1942, Foster worked briefly in Clarksdale itself. Around 1943, Foster relocated to Chicago.^[2] He played the blues round the city, originally teaming up with Floyd Jones, Lazy Bill Lucas, and the latter's cousin, Leroy Foster. Having befriended Big Walter Horton, Little Willy Foster learned to play the harmonica in Horton's Chicago blues style. From the mid 1940s, this led to periodic work for Foster on Maxwell Street, and around the city's clubs, for over a decade.^[1][2] Foster also worked during this time in a band comprising himself, Homesick James, Moody Jones and Floyd Jones.^[1]

In January 1955, Foster recorded two sides for Parrot. These were his own compositions, "Falling Rain Blues" and "Four Day Jump". His accompaniment included playing from Lucas, Jones and Eddie Taylor.^[1][2][4] Foster reportedly incurred the displeasure of the record label owner, Al Benson, for reporting him to the American Federation of Musicians, over underpaid dues on the recordings.^[5] In March 1957, Foster was back in a recording studio in Chicago, where he waxed two more of his songs, "Crying the Blues" and "Little Girl".^[2] Regarding the former title, AllMusic noted that it "reflected both his emotional singing and his wailing, swooping harmonica".^[1]

From this point onwards, his personal life started to degenerate. Attending a house party, Foster was accidentally shot in the head by a woman playing with a hand gun. This led to semi-paralysis for Foster and seriously affected his ability to speak.^[2] Although he made a slow recovery, Foster rarely played in public thereafter.^[1] In January 1974, Foster voluntarily surrendered himself to the local police after he had shot dead his room mate. Pleading self-defense, his impaired judgement due to his previous brain injury, led to a verdict of not guilty due to insanity and Foster was sent to a state hospital in 1975.^[2]

In November 1987, Foster died in Chicago from cancer, aged 65.^[2][3]

In 1996, an album produced by Bobby Mack, who also played guitar on the work, was released.^[1]

Foster's four released tracks have variously appeared on numerous compilation albums, issued both before and after his death.^[4]

Confusion

The anomaly surrounding the spelling of his first name arises from the differences used on his two single releases.^[4]

He is not to be confused, although often is in both literature and record listings etc., with another blues harmonica player, Willie James Foster (September 19, 1921 – May 20, 2001).^[3][4][6]

Singles discography

^[4]

See also

• List of Chicago blues musicians

Notes

References