I am The Stoop Down Man, The Don of The Blues, The Little Old Blues Man, better known as ROBERT L CHICK WILLIS

Born Robert Willis on September 24, 1934 in Cabiness, Georgia, "Chick" is the cousin of late blues legend Chuck Willis. He began his musical career in the 50's touring with his cousin Chuck Willis , a rollicking R&B showman who became known as the “King of the Stroll”.

Chick left the military in 1954 and worked as valet and chauffeur for Chuck, also playing in Chuck's band. When Chuck died of stomach problems in 1958, Chick worked with slide guitar great Elmore James. On his own Chick released a few obscure singles before hitting it big in 1972 with the infamous "Stoop Down Baby," which allegedly went on to sell 3 million copies! Since then, like Marvin Sease, he made a career out of similar risque material despite having genuine blues talent. Fortunately, he has proved himself as a blues singer and guitarist as much as an author of "blue" material.To date Chick has over a dozen recordings and has appeared in the movies “Petie Wheatstraw” and the Buddy Holly story.  In addition to being a first rate guitarist and vocalist, Chick plays drums, keyboard, harmonica, and bass.
Despite it's success there was no followup LP to "Stoop Down Baby Let Your Daddy See". In the mid-80s he signed with Ichiban records and dropped a tribute album to his cousin ("Chick Does Chuck") in 1985. However, it was his second album and a return to the raunchy style that re-ignited his career. Beginning with the double-entendre filled LP "Now" Willis recorded another five albums for the label before becoming a journeyman for various labels (Paula, Ifgam, Rockhouse, Deep South, CML, Old School). A 2008 effort, "The Don Of The Blues", was released on the California-based CDS Records imprint. It featured the popular song "Obama". In 2009 he signed with Benevolent Blues and released the terrific "Hit & Run Blues".

Interview by Michael Limnios

What first attracted you to the Blues & what was the first gig you ever went to & what have been some of your influences?
I was sort of born into the blues you see my father was a harmonica player, my grandmother was a church organ player, I sang in a gospel group as a youngster and the first gig I went to was a Friday night fish fry in my home when I was about ten. Some of my influences was Louis Jordan, Lighting Hopkins, Blind lemon Jefferson, Blind Boy Fuller and many more because we had a lot of 78 records of most of the recording artist’s.

Which is the most interesting period in your life and why?
The most interesting period in my life was my birthday 09/24/1972 I had a hit record and I was performing at the grand ballroom in Chicago to a standing room only house.

What experiences in your life make you a GOOD BLUESMAN?
One of the thing in my life that make a good blues man first of all being born black, second being born in the south, and third being born with rhythm, and forth I love the way the blues make me feel.

What do you learn about yourself from the blues, what does the blues mean to you?
The blues teaches me that I can come to the blues and solve my problem, I can heal a heartache, I can get through a lonely night all by myself, I can stand the mean things the boss man say to you at the end of a hard day in the fields I just go out to a juke joint and have a stiff drink and talk to my blues.

Which was the best moment of your career and which was the worst?
The best moment of my career was 1972 when I got my first hit record, The worst moment of my career was when I was in Brooklyn, N.Y and was homeless for three days and three nights with no where to stay and no food to eat.

Is there any similarity between the blues today and the old days? What do you miss from the “OLD DAYS” of blues?
The blues of today is like a person fallen in quicksand and cain’t get out the more he struggle the deeper he sink it seem like most of the blues players of today don’t know what to do next they seem like when they play the notes and riffs that they learned from listening to some of the old blues player they have nowhere else to go because they don’t have nothing in their soul, nothing in their mind to reach down and get they have no expression they have played the few riffs and runs that they learned and noe its time to play your souls but they don’t have anything in their soul to tell their mind, their voice, their fingers what to do , so what do they do the only thing they can do they have to play or sing what is in their soul and that take’s them back to whatever music they parents played to them before and after they was born and that isn’t the BLUES.

What are some of the most memorable tales with Chuck Willis and how do you characterize him?
Chuck was a easy going man he was humble he would give the shirt off his back if he thought you needed, you see Chuck was in pain most of his life you see the medical field had not made much stride with cancer back in the fifty’s and that was what Chuck had so he would take pain pills to ease the pain but he and I allways had lots of fun we was like brothers more than cousins, I never will forget he used to keep a hot plate and pots and pans and dishes and we would get in the hotels in New York and could he cook.

What advice Elmore James has given to you and what was your relationship with him? Which memory makes you smile?
Elmore James was a nice enough person but he was always protecting his status as the star of the show he did that by not letting anybody play a solo he played all of the solo’s he just wanted you to play rhythm as long as you did what he told you to do everything was ok, Elmore was an experience.

What's been their experience from “studies” with Big Joe Turner & Ray Charles?
Ray was a genius he was amazing he did things as a blind man that most men with eye’s couldn’t do, ray was trying to sound like Charles Brown and Amos Milton and it just was not cutting it I can remember over hearing the a few times talking about mixing blues and gospel together at first Ray was not for it but the idea of a new sound and the possibility of getting a hit record sort of made up Ray’s mind and man did it work hit after hit after hit. Big Joe was she sort of man that never wanted any confusions he would just take a sip and sing all night sometime the promoter would have to ease on stage and whisper in Big Joe’s ear that it was time for the next act, those was the good old days.

Are there any memories from Jimmy Reed which you’d like to share with us?
Jimmy Reed was a fun guy he loved his booze but he could not handle much of it you see we had to sort of keep an eye on Jimmy because he was the sort of guy that really didn’t know his limited and sometimes he would have to much but it didn’t take effect on him until about half way through his show and when that happen he would just pass out cold and sometime fall off the stage, we would get him take him to his dressing room and let him sleep it off but that didn’t happen when we would keep an eye on him and not let him drink too much, Jimmy was a friend to everybody.

How did you first meet and what do you miss most from Rudy Ray Moore?
I met Rudy in the early 1970’s because Rudy and I was recording with the same company and so was Jimmy Lynch so we did a lot of shows together we worked a lot in California, Los Angeles, and Southern California because Rudy and I lived in L A at the time this is where we made the movie (Petey Wheatstraw and The Human Tornado) Rudy was a great guy he was nothing like his records.

Some music styles can be fads but the blues is always with us.  Why do think that is?  
The Blues is with us simply the people of the Blues are still here and there is a lot history that go with the Blues and to lose the Blues is to lose a lot of America’s history and believe it or not back in the early days the blues is all black people had to keep them sane and help them deal with the punishment that white America was putting on them.

How has the blues music changed over the years since you first started in music?
Well look like machines and foot pedals and electronics have taken over there the new generation just don’t have a feeling for the blues like the older Blues players had, we loved playing the Blues it made us feel good we still have some Blues players that love the Blues but not enough we don’t use enough real musicians in music and the people that created this great music don’t get enough credit.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians thinking of pursuing a career in the craft?
Up and coming musicians that want to play the Blues first of all if you don’t love the Blues play something else and second the Blues bust come first in your life third you must devote a lot of time developing your own style or you will end up just like most young Blues players a carbon copy of somebody else.

What’s the best jam you ever played in? What are some of the most memorable gigs you've had?
What is the best jam or what are some of the musicians I have played with wow at my age I have played or jammed with most musicians Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Gospel, Country, jazz , I played The Apollo theater in N Y with Chuck Willis, Little Richard, Jackie Wilson and many more. I have played The royal peacock in Atlanta, Sam Cook, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles and many more symphony hall in Atlanta with George Thorogood.

Are there any memories from the Apollo Theater to the Magnolia Ballroom, which you’d like to share with us?
The Apollo theater was the place that let you know that you have made it when you are excepted at the Apollo you can make it anywhere in the world because the Apollo a proving ground, the Magnolia was the next best thing to the Royal peacock you just knew when they envied you to perform at the Magnolia that the next invite would be the great Royal Peacock, too bad there is no proving grounds to decide whether you are a good musician or good entertainer or good singer.

Of all the people you’ve meeting with, who do you admire the most?
I know this is not the answer that most interviews would like to hear but the person that I admire the most have no flaws cannot and do not do any wrong the person that have been by my side all of my 77 years, the one that I trust when everybody have turned their back on that person is GOD.

How has the music business changed over the years since you first started in music?
The music business is just that it is more of a business now it is not as much fun as it used to be we used to really love music I mean the people that was controlling the music but the controllers of today don’t seem to give a hoot about the music itself as long as they know that there is still people that love the music enough to pay to see it they are happy.

If you go back to the past what things you would do better and what things you would a void to do again?
If I could go back to the past I don’t think I would do anything different because I am still doing what I love and that is playing and singing my Blues.

How do you describe your contact to people when you are on stage?
I pride myself as an entertainer that can become one of the people that is enjoying my music so we all can understand what the music is saying I embrace my fan’s and try to know what they want to hear from me and I try to give it to them it’s like magic I see eye to eye with my audience and together it ain’t nothing but a party.

Why did you think that Chick Willis, continued to generate such a devoted following?
People like to come to see and hear me because I love my music and they can feel it something in my music just creep’s inside of the my fan’s and tell them Chick Willis is playing every song just for you.

Give one wish for the BLUES
I wish that every older blues person that is still living could enjoy a living from the music that is rightly theirs because through their Blues is only freedom that they will ever enjoy.

I am The Stoop Down Man, The Don of The Blues, The Little Old Blues Man, better known as ROBERT L CHICK WILLIS

Chick Willis Website