Song:No One To Love Me
Album:The Willie Dixon Story
Most blues fans should be familiar with Willie Dixon for his many years writing and producing for Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and all the greats at Chess Records in the 50s. But before that he was a member of The Big Three Trio. They recorded for Columbia's Okeh label in the late 40s. Dixon was born July 1, 1915 in Vicksburg, MS. He grew up singing in church and he was in a gospel group as a teen. Dixon moved to Chicago in 1936. He took up boxing and won the Illinois Golden Gloves in 1937. He was a Joe Louis sparring partner. After quitting boxing over a money dispute, he met Leonard Caston who convinced him to get into music. Caston was a singer and pianist. They were part of The Five Breezes, a vocal group similar to The Mills Brothers. They split up in 1941 and then Dixon was imprisoned for refusing induction into the military as a conscientious objector. After WWII, Dixon reunited with Caston to form The Big Three Trio. The third member was guitarist Bernardo Dennis who was replaced by Ollie Crawford. They recorded a dozen sides for Columbia and Okeh from 1947-49. I think only one of their songs charted but the group is historically significant. No One To Love Me was written and sung by Caston. The group ended after Dixon went to work for Chess in 1951. This 4CD box set from the British label Proper has all The Big Three Trio recordings and lots more. Of course Dixon was the architect of the Chess Records sound. Caston continued to perform but he was never a significant player. His son Leonard Caston Jr. was a member of The Radiants and a producer for Chess and Motown in the 70s. Dixon and Caston reunited in 1984. Caston died in 1987. Dixon died in 1992. Here's a video for No One To Love Me by The Big Three Trio.
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