Composer
Joe Williams
American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter (1903–1982)
1903–1982
10 works in the index
- Born
- 1903
- Died
- 1982
- Birthplace
- Crawford
- Place of death
- Macon
- Citizenship / historical state
- United States
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Modern
Biography
Joseph Lee Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over five decades, he recorded the songs "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Crawlin' King Snake", and "Peach Orchard Mama", among many others, for various record labels. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on October 4, 1992.
The blues historian Barry Lee Pearson (Sounds Good to Me: The Bluesman's Story, Virginia Piedmont Blues) described Williams's performance:
When I saw him playing at Mike Bloomfield's "blues night" at the Fickle Pickle, Williams was playing an electric nine-string guitar through a small ramshackle amp with a pie plate nailed to it and a beer can dangling against that. When he played, everything rattled but Big Joe himself. The total effect of this incredible apparatus produced the most buzzing, sizzling, African-sounding music I have ever heard.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- singer; songwriter; recording artist; singer-songwriter; guitarist; composer; blues musician; musician
- Recorded memberships
- Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers
- Genres
- blues; Delta blues
- Birth name
- Joseph Lee Williams
- Native languages
- English
- Languages used
- English
- VIAF ID
- 44487527
- ISNI
- 0000000073576554
- GND ID
- 118633317
- Library of Congress ID
- n81140140
- MusicBrainz ID
- bf295ac0-21e8-4e11-89e9-22b10fd8973a
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Voice, Piano, Vocal, Guitar
- Genres represented
- Jazz, Blues, Rock
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 10
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evil Man's Blues | — | — | — | Voice | — | 6 |
| Teach Me Tonight | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | Jazz | 2 |
| Everyday I Have The Blues | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Vocal | Blues, Jazz | 2 |
| Every Day I Have The Blues | — | — | — | Voice | — | 3 |
| A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 2 |
| Peach Orchard Mama | — | — | — | — | Jazz | 1 |
| Baby, Please Don't Go | — | — | — | Guitar | Jazz, Rock | 1 |
| Alright Okay You Win | — | — | — | Voice | — | 1 |
| Loneliness Sorrow And Grief | — | — | — | Voice | — | 1 |
| One For My Baby And One More For The Road | — | — | — | Voice | — | 1 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 44487527. Portrait: Patrickdenoreaz Patrick Denoréaz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.