Big Joe Williams: Biography, Facts and Career
Who is Big Joe Williams? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.
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.
Quick facts about Big Joe Williams
- Full name: Big Joe Williams
- Born: 1903-10-16
- Nationality: United States
- Known as: Musician
- Wikidata ID: Q519289
Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Big Joe Williams?
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.
What nationality is Big Joe Williams?
Big Joe Williams is United States.
When was Big Joe Williams born?
Big Joe Williams was born on 1903-10-16.
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