‘Blues is the Roots’ tells the life and times of Willie Dixon

“BLUES IS THE ROOTS” — NOW PLAYING AT PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER. by Genea L. Webb For New Pittsburgh Courier The Blues are the roots of all music, all American music. New Horizon The­ater audiences will get the chance to learn about the history of Chicago’s Chess Records and the life and times of Willie Dixon, one of its most pro­lific songwriters and side musicians, in the musical, “Blues is the Roots.” “This is an important story to tell. His story is important because he cre­ated the Chicago Blues sound and he created am­plification which allowed musicians to ‘plug in’ the sound, the energy and the beauty of the music,” said “Blues is the Roots” director, Herb Newsome. “Willie Dixon was the first person to do that. The music was beautiful and then white artists claimed ownership of it, stealing it. Willie was also the first person to sue for that. His story of bravery and influence needs to be told. I think if it wasn’t for Willie, there would be a lot of artists who wouldn’t be able to own their music.” Dixon, who died in 1992, wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs and played the up­right bass and the...