DESCRIPTION:
Chancellor of Soul, Mike Boone presents a two part edition of his 'Soul Facts Show'
a show that highlights the history of legendary artists and their music. In this edition,
the contiuning story of one the greatest vocalists of all time, Little Willie John.

Part 2 of The Little Willie John Story.


Little Wille John's career was traveling through the speed of thought. Making headline
appearences across the country and appearing on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in 1958 and charting 10 top ten hits. He never looked back.

In the spring of 1957, Willie John met and fell in love with a beautiful Apollo Theater
dancer named Darlynn Bonner and married her in May. They became proud parents
of two sons, William Kevin John and Darryl Keith John. He later brought a house and
moved his family down to Miami, Florida, still headlining nightclub appearences and
throwing lavish downhome barbaque parties, entertaining celebrity friends such as
Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ruth Brown, Dinah Washington and a young up and coming
boxer named Cassius Clay, later known to the world as Muhammad Ali.

The wall of success came tumbling down, starting in August 1964, when Willie John got
into and altercation with a heckler at a nightclub, with a broken bottle, the heckler
threw on stage, while he was performing. Then after his appearence in a Seattle nightclub called the Magic Inn, the weekend of October 17-18 1964, he and a running
partner, went to after hour spot and encounter a conversation with two ladies. One
of the ladies excused herself and just then a six foot two 200 lbs ex-con named
Kendell Roundtree, rudely sat in the young lady's seat. When the lady returned, John
asked the gentleman politely to relinquish her seat back. Some words were exchanged
between the two of them and that's when Roundtree sucker puched Willie, knocking him
to the ground.

Allegedly, John picked up a steak knife and stabbed Roundtree in the chest. He was
pronounced dead at the scene. After 2 travels back and forth to Seattle to settle his
case, during the third visit, the judge convicted Willie John to sentence of 8 to 20 years
with a mininum of 7 1/2. John was tranferred to Washington State prison in Walla Walla.

Two years later on May 26, 1968, the prince and pioneer of soul died under mysterious
circumstances at Washington State Hospital. He was 30 years old.

The legacy of Little Willie John was honored on January 17, 1996, when he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The ceremony took place at the
Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Stevie Wonder inducted Willie John and spoke
warmly about artistry and talent of the prince of soul. Afterward, Kevin John (Willie John's) and his mother Darlynn John (Willie John's wife) joined the podium with
Stevie Wonder and thank everyone for the recognition and induction of Little Willie John
into the Hall of Fame.

A fantastic book entitled 'Fever , A Fast Life, Mysterious Death and The Birth of Soul
by Detroit author and music historian, Susan Whitall and Kevin John, with a forward
by Stevie Wonder, is a fascinating story on the legendary artist, from his humble
beginnings in show business to his tragic death.

(End Of Part 2)