November 21, 1941: America's Longest-Running Daily Radio Broadcast

Sonny Boy Williamson II

November 21, 1941: The first broadcast of King Biscuit Time airs on KFFA in Helena, Arkansas, sponsored by King Biscuit Flour, and features the African-American blues artists Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Lockwood, Jr. They play live in the studio. and are the key musicians in the original studio band, the King Biscuit Entertainers.

The original Sonny Boy Williamson was John Lee Curtis Williamson, born in 1914 in rural Tennessee. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the harmonica, or "blues harp," as a solo instrument. He played on hundreds of recordings by many pre–World War II blues artists. Under his own name, he was one of the most recorded blues musicians of the 1930s and 1940s. Unfortunately, he was an innocent bystander in a shootout in the aftermath of a robbery in Chicago in 1948. He was 34 years old.

For some musical personalities, death turned out to be "a great career move." Not for him: Even while he was still alive, another harmonica player came along, calling himself many things. By 1941, he was using the name "Rice Miller." But KFFA decided to capitalize on the established bluesman's name -- in other words, to commit fraud -- and billed Miller as "Sonny Boy Williamson," even though Sonny Boy was very much still alive and active.

It didn't help that this new "Sonny Boy" had clouded origins: He previously used several names, most often Aleck Miller, and also Aleck Ford, which may or may not have been his birth name; his place of birth is usually cited as in Mississippi, although no one is sure of where in the State; and his date of birth has been cited as anywhere from 1897 to 1912, any of which would make him older. 

It was a while before people realized this new "Sonny Boy" wasn't the same guy. And he ended up being more famous, just as pool player Rudolf Wanderone became more famous using the name "Minnesota Fats," taken from the Jackie Gleason character in the film The Hustler, than the film itself became. He died in 1965.

To differentiate them, they are usually assigned Roman numerals: The first one is sometimes listed as "Sonny Boy Williamson I," and the second one as "Sonny Boy Williamson II." Beyond any question, the 2nd one was the one who performed on the early King Biscuit Time.

King Biscuit Time is still broadcast on KFFA every weekday. It is the longest-running daily radio broadcast in American history.

*

November 21, 1941 was a Friday. Actress Juliet Mills was born. So was Dave Porter, who, with Sam Moore, formed the soul-singing duo Sam & Dave.

Baseball was out of season. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. And no games were scheduled in the NHL. There were 2 college football games played. The University of Miami beat South Carolina, 7-6 at Burdine Stadium in Miami, the stadium that would one day be renamed the Orange Bowl. And Texas Tech beat Hardin-Simmons, 7-0 at Tech Field (now Jones AT&T Stadium) in Lubbock, Texas.