Dicey was born in
Annapolis, Maryland, United States, and first played the harmonica at the age of three, but began an interest in blues harmonica styling five years later. As a part of
Victoria Spivey's house band, Dicey subsequently provided backing on recordings made by
Roosevelt Sykes,
Big Joe Turner,
Lloyd Glenn,
Washboard Doc,
Louisiana Red,
Sugar Blue and Eunice Davis. In 1983, ''Operator! Operator! I'm Trying to Get in Touch With My Baby Again!'' was another live album issued by Spivey Records, accredited to 'Bill Dicey With the Fabulous Holmes Brothers With Popsy'. Dicey died of cancer in March 1993, at the age of 56. His last words were, "This sucks". In addition to those recordings described above, Dicey's harmonica playing, and sometimes vocals, can be heard on
Louisiana Red's
Louisiana Red Sings the Blues (1972,
Atco Records),
Jerry McCain,
Frank Frost, and
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's ''Harpin' on It'' (1972, Carnival Gold Standard),
Paul Oscher's
New York Really Has the Blues (1975,
Spivey Records),
The Best of Louisiana Red (1995,
Evidence Records), and
Pinetop Perkins' posthumous compilation,
Chicago Boogie Blues Piano Man (2020,
JSP Records). ==Albums==