- I Was a Mod Before You Were a Mod, Vol. 5 · 2015
- George Barnes: Restless Guitar Vol. 2 (1952/62 - Rhythm, Blues and Rock 'N' Roll) [feat. George Barnes] · 2014
- Lonely Avenue: Soul from New York 1955-1962 · 2013
- In the Jungle, Vol. 2 · 2013
- George Barnes: Restless Guitar Vol. 2 (1952/62 - Rhythm, Blues and Rock 'N' Roll) [feat. George Barnes] · 2011
- Christmas Novelty Classics · 2010
- R&B Hipshakers: Teach Me To Monkey · 2010
- Wild Guitar Rockers · 2009
- I Smell a Rat · 2009
- J & S Harlem Soul · 2008
- The Hot Hits of 1956 · 2008
- The Roots of Northern Soul - 40 Original Classics · 2008
- 28 Big Ones · 2001
Albums
- 1961
- 1960
Singles & EPs
About Little Willie John
Possessing a mighty, soulful tenor that belied his diminutive stature, Little Willie John defined the gospel-infused sound that was to emerge in soul music in the ‘50s and beyond. Recording for the King label in 1955, John, then aged just 17, began his remarkable run of hits with a version of Titus Turner’s “All Around the World.” Despite consistently topping the R&B charts, his signature tune, 1956’s smoldering “Fever,” was more famously associated with Peggy Lee, who covered the song in 1958. By the ‘60s, John’s career began to falter due to mounting personal problems stemming from alcohol abuse and a famously volatile temper. In 1964, John was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to the Washington State penitentiary where, in 1968, he died of heart failure. Little Willie John was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
- HOMETOWN
- Cullendale, AR, United States
- BORN
- 15 November 1937
- GENRE
- R&B/Soul