Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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DIXON, Floyd

(b 8 February 1929, Marshall TX; d 26 July 2006, Los Angeles CA) R&B pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. He was one of the artists, along with Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Amos Milburn, Ray Charles and Louis Jordan, who influenced the transition of the music of the Swing Era into rhythm & blues. The family moved to L.A. when he was 13. A self-taught pianist, he began with a smooth piano style in the Charles Brown mode, but soon developed a jump blues style. Bandleader Johnny Otis encouraged him to record while still working a day job in a drug store. He sang and played in the band of bassist Eddie Williams on Supreme in 1947, then recorded for Modern in 1948 and had a top ten Billboard R&B hit with 'Dallas Blues' in early 1949 (whereupon a Williams record with Dixon, 'Broken Hearted', made the chart later that year). Another hit that year on Modern was 'Mississippi Blues', and he switched to Peacock in Houston for 'Sad Journey Blues' (also released on Aladdin), and to Aladdin for 'Telephone Blues' (with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers) and 'Call Operator 210 (also released on Imperial) in 1950-2.

His 'Hey Bartender' for the Cat label in 1954 (a subsidiary of Atlantic) did not make the chart, but eventually became his signature tune. He also recorded for Specialty and other labels. An established star on the West Coast, Dixon was probably one of those who inspired Ray Charles to switch from his suave Nat 'King' Cole style to a more Gospel-inspired delivery.

Dixon’s career cooled off, and he nearly dropped out of music altogether, living in Paris, Texas. Then he was invited to perform in Sweden, and found an international following. In 1980, he joined the European Blues Caravan tour with old friends Charles Brown and Ruth Brown. He toured in the U.S. with then-unknown Robert Cray, as well as Little Charlie & The Nightcats. In 1984 he received a Billboard Blues Award for 'Hey Bartender' when it was covered by the Blues Brothers, and a Billboard Country Award the following year, when it was recorded by Johnny Lee.

In 1993 Dixon received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Career Achievement Award. The album Wake Up And Live! on Alligator won the 1997 Handy Award from The Blues Foundation for Comeback Album of the Year. Another CD, Fine, Fine Thing, came out on HighJohn in 2005, and in June 2006, Dixon recorded a live CD/DVD with pianists Pinetop Perkins and Henry Gray, to be released on HighJohn.