Sonny Payne Interviews

Sonny Payne

John William "Sonny" Payne was born John William Payne in Helena, Phillips County, Arkansas, on November 29, 1925. Payne joined the US Army and served in the Seventy-fifth Signal Battalion.

After his military service, he worked as a touring musician. However, "Sunshine" Sonny Payne is best known for his long-running blues radio show, King Biscuit Time, which he began hosting in 1951 at Helena radio station KFFA.

A Blues Hall of Fame inductee, he has earned numerous awards, including a Peabody Award, the Pioneer Award from the Arkansas Broadcaster's Association, and the Keeping Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation.

Payne passed away on February 9, 2018.

Video

Audio

AUDIO-PAYNE-Sonny-20110719 - 4:09:58

Transcript

TRANS-PAYNE-Sonny-20110719-FINAL

Composite image of early photo of Sonny Payne and still frame from Pryor Center video interview © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#1: Composite image of early photo of Sonny Payne and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#2: Sonny Payne as a young boy on a pony
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne as a young boy (right) with his brother, Troy (left), and his dog, Ponte © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#3: Sonny Payne as a young boy (right) with his brother, Troy (left), and his dog, Ponte
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Daisy Swope, grandmother of Sonny Payne (right) with her son, Raymond (left), and daughter, Gladys (center), mother of Sonny Payne © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#4: Daisy Swope, grandmother of Sonny Payne (right) with her son, Raymond (left), and daughter, Gladys (center), mother of Sonny Payne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

King Biscuit Entertainers: Sonny Boy Williamson, Sam Carr, Frank Frost © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#5: King Biscuit Entertainers: Sonny Boy Williamson, Sam Carr, Frank Frost
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

King Biscuit Entertainers: Sonny Boy Williamson, Frank Frost, Sam Carr © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#6: King Biscuit Entertainers: Sonny Boy Williamson, Frank Frost, Sam Carr
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

King Biscuit Entertainers: Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse Sr., James Peck Curtis © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#7: King Biscuit Entertainers: Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse Sr., James Peck Curtis
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

King Biscuit Entertainers on tour; J. M. Countiss Jr. Store; Modoc, Arkansas © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#8: King Biscuit Entertainers on tour; J. M. Countiss Jr. Store; Modoc, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Photo of DJ "Sunshine" Sonny Payne at the turntables; on display at the Delta Cultural Center © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#9: Photo of DJ "Sunshine" Sonny Payne at the turntables; on display at the Delta Cultural Center
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne receiving an award with his wife, Josephine (seated), and Jim Howe in background © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#10: Sonny Payne receiving an award with his wife, Josephine (seated), and Jim Howe in background
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#11: Sonny Payne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Photo of DJ "Sunshine" Sonny Payne at the control board; on display at the Delta Cultural Center © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#12: Photo of DJ "Sunshine" Sonny Payne at the control board; on display at the Delta Cultural Center
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#13: Sonny Payne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#14: Josephine, wife of Sonny Payne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne with Jim Howe presenting an award to Robert Lockwood Jr. at the 1986 King Biscuit Blues Festival © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#15: Sonny Payne with Jim Howe presenting an award to Robert Lockwood Jr. at the 1986 King Biscuit Blues Festival
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#16: Sonny Payne at a KFFA remote broadcast
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne with Robert Lockwood Jr. at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#17: Sonny Payne with Robert Lockwood Jr. at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne with his wife, Josephine, receiving the Arkansas Broadcasters Association Award in 1993 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#18: Sonny Payne with his wife, Josephine, receiving the Arkansas Broadcasters Association Award in 1993
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#19: Sonny Payne playing upright bass
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne broadcasting from the Delta Cultural Center Depot, September 23, 1996 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#20: Sonny Payne broadcasting from the Delta Cultural Center Depot, September 23, 1996
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#21: Sonny Payne with Robert Lockwood Jr. and Pinetop Perkins
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#22: King Biscuit Time 13,000 shows cake
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#23: Sonny Payne with (left to right) Robert Lockwood Jr., Jeanne Webster, and James Morgan, 2002
© Photo by Bob Vorel

#24: Sonny Payne broadcasting from the KFFA studio in the Delta Cultural Center, 2002
© Photo by Bob Vorel

#25: Sonny Payne and Governor Mike Huckabee
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Sonny Payne and Louis Smith broadcasting at the Christmas Parade, 2000 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#26: Sonny Payne and Louis Smith broadcasting at the Christmas Parade, 2000
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#27: Mike Huckabee presents street sign to Sonny Payne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#28: Sonny Payne at the control board in the KFFA studio
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#29: Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and Sonny Payne
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#30: Sonny Payne at the KFFA studio, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

"Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#31: "Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#32: "Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#33: "Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#34: "Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#35: "Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#36: "Sunshine" Sonny Payne in the KFFA studio; Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Sonny Payne at the Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011 © Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#37: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Sonny Payne at the Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

#38: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Sonny Payne at the Delta Cultural Center; Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences

Sonny Payne

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