Air Week: May 1-7, 2023
Floyd Dixon
This week, “Juke In The Back” features another unsung hero of early Rhythm & Blues, Floyd Dixon. He’s often overlooked or labeled as a Charles Brown sound-alike, but Dixon was a prolific songwriter who made a great contribution to the R&B foundation of Rock n’ Roll. After meeting his piano/singing idol, Charles Brown, Dixon hooked up with Eddie Williams, who had played bass in Brown’s group, Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers. They had several hits together before Dixon himself was asked to join The Three Blazers, after Brown went solo. As a solo artist, Dixon is remembered for his top 10 R&B hits “Sad Journey Blues” and “Call Operator 210,” but his most enduring song is “Hey Bartender,” which he cut in 1954 for Cat Records. It was revived in the late ’70s by The Blues Brothers and remains a classic to this day. Dixon recorded for Swingtime, Supreme, Modern, Aladdin, Specialty and many more influential independent labels. Matt The Cat digs up his finest platters, while also highlighting a 2006 interview with Dixon that was recorded shortly before his death at age 77. Dig on “Mr. Magnificent,” Floyd Dixon on this week’s “Juke In The Back.”
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