Joe Williams (jazz singer)


Joe Williams was an American jazz singer. He sang with big bands, such as the Count Basie Orchestra and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, and with small combos. He sang in two films with the Basie orchestra and sometimes worked as an actor.

Early life

Williams was born in Cordele, Georgia, the son of Willie Goreed and Anne Beatrice, née Gilbert. When he was about three, his mother and grandmother took him to Chicago; he grew up on the South Side, where he attended Austin Otis Sexton Elementary School and Englewood High School. In the 1930s, as a teenager, he was a member of a gospel group, the Jubilee Boys, and performed in Chicago churches.

Career

Williams began singing professionally as a soloist in 1937. He sometimes sang with big bands: from 1937, he performed with Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, and also toured with Les Hite in the Midwest. In 1941, he toured with Coleman Hawkins to Memphis, Tennessee. In 1943, he performed in Boston with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. He sang with Red Saunders at the Club DeLisa in Chicago in 1945, and in 1946 was in New York with Andy Kirk.
In the late 1940s, Williams was ill and performed on a sporadic basis. By October 1950, he was again at the Club DeLisa with Red Saunders, where Count Basie heard him.
From 1954 to 1961, he was the singer for the Count Basie Orchestra. "Every Day I Have the Blues", recorded in 1955, and "Alright, Okay, You Win" were among many successful recordings from this period.
After leaving the Basie band, Williams had a successful career as a soloist at festivals, in clubs, and on television. He and Basie remained on good terms, and he regularly appeared with the Basie orchestra. He toured and made recordings with many other musicians, including Harry "Sweets" Edison in 1961–62, Junior Mance between 1962 and 1964, George Shearing in 1971, and Cannonball Adderley between 1973 and 1975. He went on a long tour from Egypt to India with Clark Terry in 1977, and toured Europe and the United States with Thad Jones and the Basie Orchestra in 1985. He also worked with his own combos, which between 1970 and 1990 usually included the pianist Norman Simmons, and often had Henry Johnson on guitar.
Williams sang with the Basie orchestra in two films, Jamboree in 1957 and Cinderfella in 1960. He sometimes worked as an actor, and he had a supporting role in the movie The Moonshine War released in 1970. Williams appeared several times on Sesame Street in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1982, Joe played the part of jazz musician Sonny Goodman in an episode of the television series Lou Grant. He later portrayed Al Hanks, father of Clair Huxtable, in three episodes of the 1984–1992 series The Cosby Show.
In later life, Williams often worked in hotels and clubs in Las Vegas, Nevada, but also sang at festivals and worked on cruise ships. He toured again with the Basie Orchestra, this time under the direction of Frank Foster, who had succeeded Thad Jones as leader of the band. Williams sang with the former Ellington Orchestra drummer Louie Bellson in Duke Ellington's jazz suite Black, Brown and Beige; in about 1993 or 1994 he again toured with George Shearing.

Death

Williams died on March 29, 1999, in Las Vegas, at the age of 80. He had been hospitalized the week before for a respiratory ailment.

Awards and honors

Williams won the Best Jazz Vocal Performance Grammy Award for his LP Nothin' but the Blues in 1984; it was also the winning Traditional Blues Album in the Blues Music Awards of the Blues Foundation in the following year. Williams was nominated for seven other Grammy awards: for Prez & Joe ; "8 to 5 I Lose" ; I Just Want To Sing ; Every Night: Live At Vine St. ; "I Won't Leave You Again" ; "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" ; and In Good Company.
In 1988, Williams received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. He also was a co-founder of the Fillius Jazz Archive from Hamilton College, where he also received an honorary degree.
In 1992, his 1955 recording of "Every Day I Have the Blues" with Basie was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame for recordings of particular historical or qualitative importance. Williams was added to the Jazz Wall of Fame of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2001.
In 1988, with his wife Jillean and friends, Williams set up the not-for-profit Joe Williams Every Day Foundation to offer scholarships to talented young musicians.

Discography

As leader

Sings Everyday Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards At Newport One O'Clock Jump A Man Ain't Supposed to Cry Memories Ad-Lib Joe Williams Sings About You! Everyday I Have the Blues Joe Williams with Songs About 'That Kind of Woman' Just the Blues Sentimental & Melancholy Together Have a Good Time with Joe Williams Joe Williams Live! A Swingin' Night at Birdland Jump for Joy At Newport '63 One Is a Lonesome Number Me and the Blues A New Kind of Love We Three The Song Is You Scat Man Crothers & Joe Williams The Exciting Joe Williams Alright, Okay compilationPresenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra Something Old, New and Blue Worth Waiting For... The Heart and Soul of Joe Williams and George Shearing With Love Joe Williams Live Prez & Joe: In Celebration of Lester Young Nothin' but the Blues Then and Now I Just Want to Sing Having the Blues Under European Sky Every Night: Live at Vine St. In Good Company That Holiday Feelin' Ballad and Blues Master Live at Orchestra Hall, Detroit Here's to Life
  • ''Feel the Spirit''

As guest