Editing Willie Dixon (section)

===Pinnacle of career===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Jlwandwilliedixon.jpg|thumb|240px|left|Dixon (right), with his friend [[Joe Louis Walker]]]] -->
Dixon signed with [[Chess Records]] as a recording artist, but he began performing less, being more involved with administrative tasks for the label.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=706}}</ref> By 1951, he was a full-time employee at Chess, where he acted as producer, [[Artists and repertoire|talent scout]], [[session musician]] and staff songwriter.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He was also a producer for the Chess subsidiary [[Checker Records]].<ref name="LarkinGE"/> His relationship with Chess was sometimes strained, but he stayed with the label from 1948 to the early 1960s. During this time Dixon's output and influence were prodigious. From late 1956 to early 1959, he worked in a similar capacity for [[Cobra Records]], for which he produced early singles for [[Otis Rush]], [[Magic Sam]], and [[Buddy Guy]].{{sfn|Dixon|Snowden|1990|pp=103–112}} In 1956, Dixon wrote "[[Fishin' in My Pond]]", which was recorded by [[Lee Jackson (blues musician)|Lee Jackson]], and released on Cobra in February 1957.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wirz.de/music/jackslee.htm|title=Illustrated Lee Jackson discography|website=Wirz.de|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Fishin' In My Pond | website=45cat.com | url=http://www.45cat.com/record/nc172540us | access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref> Dixon later recorded for [[Bluesville Records]]. From the late 1960s until the mid-1970s, Dixon ran his own record label, [[Yambo Records]], and two subsidiary labels, Supreme and Spoonful. He released his 1971 album, ''Peace?'', on Yambo and also singles by [[McKinley Mitchell]], [[Lucky Peterson]] and others.{{sfn|Dixon|Snowden|1990|p=244}}

Dixon is considered one of the key figures in the creation of [[Chicago blues]]. He worked with [[Chuck Berry]], [[Muddy Waters]], [[Howlin' Wolf]], [[Otis Rush]], [[Bo Diddley]], [[Little Walter]], [[Sonny Boy Williamson II]], [[Koko Taylor]], [[Little Milton]], [[Eddie Boyd]], [[Jimmy Witherspoon]], [[Lowell Fulson]], [[Willie Mabon]], [[Memphis Slim]], [[Washboard Sam]], [[Jimmy Rogers]], [[Sam Lay]] and others.

In December 1964, the [[The Rolling Stones|Rolling Stones]] reached number one on the UK Singles Chart with their cover of Dixon's "[[Little Red Rooster]]".<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">
{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records
| location= London
| page= 458
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
}}</ref> In the same year, the group also covered "[[I Just Want To Make Love To You]]" on their debut album, ''[[The Rolling Stones (album)|The Rolling Stones]]''.