Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - the beat behind Muddy
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith has only travelled to Toronto with the Muddy Waters Tribute Band, never having been a headliner in his own right. MusiCan are remedying this by bringing him to the Silver Dollar Room on Friday, November 20. He will be bringing his drum kit, and his harps, by special request. When was the last time any one heard Willie play harp? He will be ably backed by Al Lerman (harp/sax), Alec Fraser (bass), and Morgan Davis (guitar). You can also see him on Saturday the 21st at the Poor Folks Deli at Brantford for their Saturday matinee and at The Stonehaven Inn at Stratford on Saturday evening.
You probably know Willie Smith as the man who provided the beat for the Muddy Waters Band, and he kept up that impeccable beat for 13 years, until Muddy's death, and since then has continued with the Muddy Waters' Reunion Band.
Willie, like so many other "Chicago" Bluesmen, started his life in the South. January 19, 1920 saw the birth of the young Willie Smith in Helena, Arkansas. He was raised by his grandparents, who were sharecroppers outside of town on the Wooton Epps Plantation. Unbeknown to him, his connection to the Blues started during his early life many years before he met his friend and mentor, Muddy Waters. So many coincidences linked him to his present life, eg., Robert Nighthawk had a farm next door; Pinetop Perkins lived nearby, and James Triblett (who was later Muddy's driver/valet) used to baby-sit the young Willie.
At age 17, Willie went to Chicago initially to visit his mother, but ended up staying. After hearing Muddy Waters and his band playing at a local club, he knew the Blues had to figure somewhere in his life. He first learned to play harmonica and then drums and soon Willie and his friend Clifton James, formed a trio with Bobby Lee Burns on guitar. At this point, Willie blew harp and Clifton was on drums.
In 1955 Willie married his first wife and ostensibly gave up music. This did not last too long and in 1956 he blew harp for Arthur "Big Boy" Spires and soon went on to front his own band on harmonica. Later he joined Luther Hudson Shower's Red Devil Trio and his career as a professional drummer began.
Willie Smith's main influences were Muddy's then drummers, Fred Below and Francis Clay. He even played in a band known as the Muddy Waters Junior Band, "a two-year initiation" Willie calls it. He would also play drums at Muddy's Sunday jam at Smitty's in 1960. Then in '61 he was summoned by his idol to play drums for his band. This started a close long-standing relationship between the two men - "like father and son" says Willie.
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith still plays drums for the Muddy Waters Reunion Band and goes on tour regularly with them. He lives with his second wife, Ilene, in the same house he has lived in for many years, just down the street from his old friend. His band, The Legendary Blues Band travels all around playing clubs from Milwaukee to Indiana. He recorded five CDs on the Ichiban label including Keeping The Blues Alive, Woke Up With the Blues and You Be the Judge. Right now, he has an album out on Blind Pig Records called Bag Full of Blues with Kim Wilson lending his support. His CDs are filled with righteous Chicago Blues. Willie also won the WC Handy Award for Blues Drummer of the Year three years in a row, from 1996 to 1998.
- Jennifer Kempa