Re: [Harp-L] Rice Miller's age

[joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Dec 21, 2009, at 5:09 PM, Tom Ball wrote:

> Michael Rubin said:
> H-Town Fess said: there are claims that the census says SBWII  
> barely made it past fifty. This seems completely contradictory to  
> my understanding, I see pictures of him that seem like he is at  
> least 70 years old.  There is only one picture I know of with him  
> looking anywhere around 40 years old, everything else he seems to  
> be 60 years old or older.  Am I missing something?
> -----------
>
> My understanding is that a birth certificate indeed turned up,  
> citing his birth as in December 1912. As I recall it was unearthed  
> by researcher David Evans.
>
> This would make Sonny Boy only 52 at the time of his death -- a  
> supposition that seems unlikely, considering his aged appearance in  
> later photographs and film clips. But then he lived a hard life,  
> and, as with all things Sonny Boy, we may never know for sure.

Ok, point #1 I think that 1912 is too late. I sure wish and hope, and  
PLEEEEEEASE someone else on here, please have seen him around that  
time and back me up here. This guy was SCARY as he!!. Some people are  
curly, he was scary. A very ominous looking dude. Someone mentioned  
that they had seen several unflattering photos. Well, I don't think  
you could have TAKEN a flattering photo of him. I wouldn't say he was  
ugly, but homely might fit. That and his glare.

When I went to put out my hand, he glared at me. And the best is that  
I don't think it WAS a glare. I think that it was his normal facial  
expression.
> His passport was made out in the name Sonny Boy Williams, born  
> April 7, 1909.

One of his many aka's. But passports were usually made out to TRUE  
names with TRUE birth certificates. Was this a case of assumed  
identity? After all his name was Miiller. He could have used someone  
else's paperwork for the passport.

>   His gravestone reads Aleck Miller, born March 11, 1908.

But that was placed by someone not his family. But his own sister  
says 1908, so I would trust her first. On the other hand, if there  
were a lot of siblings, the sister could be mixing up siblings.

> His recording contract with Trumpet Records was in the name of  
> Willie Williamson.

Another aka

> The book Blues Who's Who sets his birth date at December 5, 1899;

But...but, who wrote the book. They probably went by what they were  
told. Sometimes people give out bogus info for one reason or another.

> his sisters set it at March 11, 1908; his biographer has it as  
> December 5, 1912; one of his own songs sets it in 1897,

He could have been fibbing about the 1897 part. Be-caaaaause there  
was a time when he was starting out. Whereas he had already had a  
hard life, he came onto the harmonica scene later than another fellow  
and he took that fellow's 'nickname' to capitalize on the other  
fellow's already established reputation. He may have wanted to  
establish that HE was the older one and so the nickname was  
rightfully HIS (by seniority).

> and he once told Blues Unlimited magazine that he was born in 1901.

See, it seems ALL the dates other than Mar 1908 were put out by HIM.  
I see a little Leon Redbone-itis here. Another mystery man.

I hope to God that ANYONE doing a story on ANY of these greats. Be it  
Butter, Rice, the Walters, whatever, remember some of the following  
aspects. Take into consideration:
1.... The sociological ramifications then existant
2.... The racial ramifications
3.... The religious ramifications
4.... The economical ramifications
5.... The cultural ramifications  and yada yada

It would be a terrible mistake to come into a study with preconceived  
notions. Something that would taint or miscolor the final results or  
facts. The studier should be inert, bland, and totally uninvolved. A  
study derived solely on a fan based foundation wouldn't be without  
suspicion.

This is why ANY discussions should be considered and then sifted. And  
no one should fault inquiring minds for wanting the truth.

smokey-joe
> David "Honeyboy" Edwards (b. 1915) remembers (in his autobiography)  
> meeting him in about 1929: "I first met Sonny Boy Williamson when I  
> was only fourteen.  That was out at Shellmound on the Bledsoe  
> Plantation.  He must have been around thirty years old then." But  
> then, with all due respect to Honeyboy, his recollections have been  
> less-than-accurate on other points. <shrug>  It seems Sonny Boy's  
> life was often one big and rather chaotic mystery. Amazing to think  
> his entire recording career lasted only 14 years....
>
> But what gems he recorded!
>
> cheers,
> Tom
> http://www.tomball.us
>
> _