Billy Bizor (September 3, 1913 – April 5, 1969) was an American Texas blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter. He was musically associated with his cousin Lightnin' Hopkins, on some of whose 1960s albums Bizor played harmonica and sang backing vocals. Bizor's only solo recordings took place in 1968 and 1969, but these were not released until 1989.
Life and career
Bizor was born near Middleton, Leon County, Texas, United States, ten months before the outbreak of World War I. Details of his early life are scant, but he performed locally from the 1930s in a semi-professional manner without any tangible success. He languished in total obscurity, and barely changed his playing methodology over the years. His fortunes changed somewhat courtesy of the blues revival in the 1960s, along with starting recording as a backing musician to his cousin, Lightnin' Hopkins. Bizor played harmonica, and sometimes sang backing vocals, on several of Hopkins' albums including; ''
Walkin' This Road by Myself
''Walkin' This Road by Myself'' is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas and released on the Bluesville label.O'Brien, T. JLightnin' Album of the Week: Week 27 March 12, 2011accessed November 7, 2018
Reception
'' ...
'' (1962), ''
Lightnin' and Co.
''Lightnin' and Co.'' is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas in 1962 and released on the Bluesville label.Smokes Like Lightning
''Smokes Like Lightning'' is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas in 1962 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.Talkin' Some Sense
''Talkin' Some Sense'', is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in Texas in 1968 and released on Stan Lewis' Jewel Records label.Free Form Patterns'' (1968). While his contributions there went largely unheralded, the work did lead to Bizor, between 1968 and 1969, recording his only solo sessions. These took place in Houston under the guidance of record producer Roy C. Ames. In those sessions Bizor was accompanied by Lightnin' Hopkins (guitar, vocals),
Donald "Duck" Dunn
Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Rec ...
(rhythm guitar), Clarence Holliman (guitar),
Elmore Nixon
Elmore Nixon (November 17, 1933 – June 1975) was an American jump blues pianist and singer. His piano playing accompanied several artists on their recordings, including Peppermint Harris, Clifton Chenier and Lightnin' Hopkins, as well as releas ...
(piano), plus Linda Waring and Ben Turner (drums). His work went unreleased at the time.
Eventually issued as ''Blowing My Blues Away'', the end result went unreleased for 20 years, but the recordings also revealed Bizor, according to AllMusic, "to be an intense, emotionally charged singer". He never saw the recordings come to light. Bizor died on April 5, 1969, of the effects of
edema
Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...
at the
Ben Taub Hospital
Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students fro ...
in Houston, Texas. He was buried at Gosto Prairie Cemetery in Centerville, Leon County, Texas.
He appeared posthumously together with Hopkins in the documentary by filmmaker Les Blank, ''The Blues According To Lightnin' Hopkins'' (1970).
Bizor's track "Screwdriver" was covered by
South Filthy
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
on their album, ''Crackin' Up'' (2005).
In 2015, Cicadelic Records released the collection, ''Wake Up The Dead'', a double CD including all of Bizor and Hopkins joint recordings made during 1968 and 1969.
*''Cousins'' (Blues Factory Records, 2000)
*''Wake Up The Dead'' (Cicadelic Records, 2015)
Compilation
*''Screwdriver'' (Carinco Neue Medien AG, 2012)
See also
*
List of harmonicists
This is a list of musicians that are notable for their harmonica playing skills.
Harmonica bands/groups
* Borrah Minevitch and his Harmonica Rascals
*Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang
*The Harmonica Gentlemen
*Jerry Murad's Harmonicats
*Johnny Pule ...