Born Richard Alfred Newell in Hamilton, Ontario, he first heard the blues on U.S. radio. At the age of seventeen he started playing the harmonica, playing with local blues and rock bands. In 1966 he joined the Toronto band, the Mid-Knights, leaving them to go on tour singing and playing harmonica from 1968 to 1970 with Ronnie Hawkins (who named him "King Biscuit Boy" after the Arkansas blues programme, King Biscuit Time).
"Biscuit", who also played guitar, made his first LP, Official Music in 1970 with Hawkin's old backing band, now called Crowbar. His first solo album was the 1974 King Biscuit Boy, followed by many others.
He continued to perform intermittently in Canada and the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s. He received two nominations for the Juno award, and in 1995 was presented with the Great Canadian Blues Award.
Due to his heavy drinking, Newell's health deteriorated as he aged, which led to performance problems and cancelled shows. He died at his home in Hamilton, Ontario, in 2003, two months short of his fifty-ninth birthday.
A couple of months after his death, friends of Newell held a benefit show at a downtown Hamilton, Ontario, club, to create a trust fund in his name. More than 100 musicians from across the country showed up to play at Club 77 at the first annual "Blues with a Feeling" benefit show. The show was successful and "The Friends of Richard Newell" have held one every year since, with the money raised going to a music scholarship fund at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Hamilton, Ontario.
Willie And The Hand Jive
King Biscuit Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a cool little chick named Rocking Millie
He can walk and stroll and Susie Q
And do that crazy hand jive, too
Mama, mama, look at Uncle Joe
Doing the hand jive with Sister Flo
Grandma gave baby sister a dime
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
Doctor and a lawyer and an Indian chief
They all dig that crazy beat
Way-out Willie gave them all a treat
When he did that hand jive with his feet
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
Willie and Millie got married last fall
They had a little Willie Junior and that ain't all
Well, the kids got crazy and it's plain to see
Doing the hand jive on TV
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
The song "Willie and The Hand Jive" by King Biscuit Boy tells the story of a cool guy named Way-Out Willie who has a girlfriend named Rocking Millie. The song mainly focuses on their ability to do the "hand jive", a dance that involves rhythmic hand movements. The song starts with the singer introducing Way-Out Willie and how he can walk, stroll, and do the Susie Q dance. He then goes on to talk about how the whole family is getting in on the action, with Uncle Joe doing the hand jive with Sister Flo and Grandma giving Baby Sister a dime to do the hand jive one more time.
As the song goes on, the singer mentions how even professionals like a doctor, a lawyer, and an Indian chief enjoy the hand jive. This is because Way-Out Willie has given them all a treat by doing the hand jive with his feet. The song concludes with Willie and Millie getting married and having a son named Willie Junior. The son goes on to do the hand jive on TV, further showing how popular the dance had become.
Overall, "Willie and The Hand Jive" celebrates a dance trend that was popular during the 1950s and the 1960s. It's a fun and energetic song that captures the essence of the hand jive dance and the joy it brought to people during that time period.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a cat named Way-out Willie
I am personally acquainted with an individual known as Way-out Willie
Got a cool little chick named Rocking Millie
He is romantically involved with Rocking Millie, who is a delightful and fashionable woman
He can walk and stroll and Susie Q
He is capable of executing the dance styles known as the walk, the stroll, and the Susie Q
And do that crazy hand jive, too
He has the ability to perform the extremely entertaining and widely popular dance known as the hand jive
Mama, mama, look at Uncle Joe
The artist is calling out to their mother while pointing at their Uncle Joe
Doing the hand jive with Sister Flo
Uncle Joe is executing the hand jive dance technique alongside Sister Flo, who is likely his sister or other family member
Grandma gave baby sister a dime
The family member known as Grandma presented a ten-cent coin to a younger sister or relative
Said, "Do that hand jive one more time"
Grandma requested that the recipient perform the hand jive dance once again, likely due to a strong appreciation for the skill displayed
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
The chorus invites the audience to chant along and appreciate the endless entertainment value of the hand jive dance technique
Do that crazy hand jive
The repeated phrase is encouraging the audience to continue performing the dance or to invite others to join in the fun by executing the hand jive alongside them
Doctor and a lawyer and an Indian chief
The singer is mentioning three professionals, a physician, an attorney, and a respected Native American leader
They all dig that crazy beat
All three aforementioned individuals fully appreciate the musical tempo and associated rhythm
Way-out Willie gave them all a treat
Way-out Willie entertained the aforementioned professionals, providing them with an enjoyable experience
When he did that hand jive with his feet
Willie performed the hand jive using his feet as well as his hands, truly impressing his audience and taking the dance to the next level
Willie and Millie got married last fall
Way-out Willie and his girlfriend Rocking Millie entered into the institution of marriage during the most recent autumn season
They had a little Willie Junior and that ain't all
The couple welcomed a male offspring named Willie Junior into the world, but there is more to the story
Well, the kids got crazy and it's plain to see
The children of Willie and Millie are behaving in an extremely entertaining and perhaps somewhat chaotic fashion
Doing the hand jive on TV
The couple's offspring are demonstrating their mastery of the hand jive dance technique in front of a television camera crew, indicating that their fame and notoriety may be growing
Contributed by Caroline O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.