Biography
Born on 26 March 1946 in San Francisco, California, the musician’s true identity was said to be either Willie Boyd or Willie Gitry. Raised in Richmond, California, he performed with vocal ensembles during his youth and picked up the guitar in the early 1960s, later working alongside Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy McCracklin and additional artists while also cutting sides with McCracklin. After spending 1969 through 1971 in Los Angeles, he assembled his own group near the end of 1972. He became a member of Charlie Musselwhite’s ensemble in 1973 and, a year later, both toured and recorded alongside John Mayall. Additional credits include composing the theme for Mandingo, performed by Muddy Waters, and contributing vocals to the Leadbelly soundtrack. Blues Unlimited once described him as “an excellent guitarist in both the slide and regular fingerstyles.”
Albums