Floyd Dixon

Floyd Dixon (February 8, 1929 – July 26, 2006) was an American rhythm-and-blues pianist and singer.

Early life Dixon was born in Marshall, Texas. Growing up, he was influenced by blues, gospel, jazz and country music. His family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1942, and Dixon met Charles Brown, who had an influence on his music.

The self-dubbed "Mr. Magnificent", Dixon signed a recording contract with Modern Records in 1949, specializing in jump blues and sexualized songs like "Red Cherries", "Wine Wine Wine", "Too Much Jelly Roll" and "Baby Let's Go Down to the Woods". Both "Dallas Blues" and "Mississippi Blues", credited to the Floyd Dixon Trio, reached the Billboard R&B chart in 1949, as did "Sad Journey Blues", issued by Peacock Records in 1950. Staying with the record label, Dixon had a small hit under his own name in 1952 with "Call Operator 210".

Dixon died of kidney failure in Orange County, California, in July 2006, at the age of 77, having suffered from cancer.

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LP releases Live in Sweden (Great Dame 001), 1975 Opportunity Blues (Route 66 KIX-1), 1976 (compilation of recordings from 1948 to 1961) Rockin' This Joint Tonite: Ace Holder / Kid Thomas / Floyd Dixon Featuring Johnny Guitar Watson (JSP 1002), 1978 Houston Jump (Route 66 KIX-11), 1979 (compilation of recordings from 1947 to 1960) Empty Stocking Blues (Route 66 KIX-27), 1985 (compilation of recordings from 1947 to 1953)

CD releases Wake Up and Live! (Alligator 4841), 1996 Mr. Magnificent Hits Again (HMO 2450), 1999 Fine! Fine! Thing! (Highjohn 1739), 2005 Time Brings About a Change ... A Floyd Dixon Celebration (Highjohn 5206), 2006

CD compilations Marshall Texas Is My Home (Specialty 7011), 1991; also issued on Ace CHD-361, 1993 Floyd Dixon: His Complete Aladdin Recordings, 2-CD set (Capitol-EMI 36293), 1996 The Cocktail Combos: Nat King Cole / Charles Brown / Floyd Dixon, 3-CD set (Capitol-EMI 52042), 1997 Cow Town Blues: The Seminal 1948–1950 Modern Recordings (Ace CHD-740), 2000 Floyd Dixon: Hey Bartender! His Very Best 1949–1959 (Jasmine JASMCD-3065), 2016 The Floyd Dixon Singles Collection 1949–1962, 3-CD set (Acrobat ACTRCD-9074), 2018