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Washboard Willie William Paden Hensley (July 24, 1906[1] or 1909 – August 24, 1991),[2] known as Washboard Willie, was an American Detroit blues musician, who specialised in playing the washboard. He recorded tracks including “A Fool on a Mule in the Middle of The Road” plus “Cherry Red Blues”, and worked variously with Eddie “Guitar” Burns, Baby Boy Warren, and Boogie Woogie Red.[2]
Washboard Willie Hensley was born either in Bullock County, Alabama, in 1906,[1] or in Columbus, Georgia, in 1909.[2] “Washboard Willie”, as he became known, did not take up music until his thirties. By 1948 he had relocated to Detroit,[3] and in 1952, he watched Eddie “Guitar” Burns performing and played along with Burns’ backing group. He impressed the proprietor and ended up with a three-year residency with the band.[4]
Washboard Willie Working full-time washing cars for a living, he decided to name his own musical ensemble, Washboard Willie and the Super Suds of Rhythm, working off of the name of a once-popular laundry detergent![4][5] He graduated from just playing the washboard to incorporate a bass drum and snare and, in 1955, gave Little Sonny his first booking.[4] In 1956, Hensley made his own debut recording of “Cherry Red Blues,” with “Washboard Shuffle;” and then “Washboard Blues Pt. 1 & 2.”[6] His recording career continued until 1962 utilising Boogie Woogie Red on piano accompaniment. The recordings were not issued until 1969 on Barrelhouse Records. However, in 1966, Willie did release a single with the tracks “Natural Born Lover,” and “Wee Baby Blues.” His band remained in demand playing nightly in both Detroit and Ann Arbor.[4]
In 1973, he toured Europe with Lightnin’ Slim, Whispering Smith, Snooky Pryor, Homesick James and Boogie Woogie Red; he also played at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival that year on the Saturday afternoon “Detroit Blues” show. A compilation album, American Blues Legends ’73 was issued on Big Bear Records with… Source Wikipedia
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