Big Joe Williams

Big Joe Williams ( born October 16, 1903 in Crawford, Mississippi, USA, † December 17, 1982 in Macon, Mississippi), actually Joseph Lee Williams, was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was considered one of streitlustigsten, but at the same time the most talented musicians of the Delta Blues.

In his early years, Big Joe Williams was constantly on the road to play the blues between New Orleans and Chicago, wherever this was possible. In the 1930s, he spent some time in prison.

In 1935 he made ​​his first recordings under his own name, including his well- known song Baby Please Do not Go (as Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers). In 1937, he was with Sonny Boy Williamson I in the studio.

After several 78- rpm records appeared in 1958 his first album, Piney Woods Blues, on the Delmar label. In 1962 the album Blues on Highway 49, the "Grand Prix du Disque de Jazz " of the " Hot Club of France". As a result, Williams went under the American Folk Blues Festival in Europe as well.

Charlie Musselwhite reports that he is in Chicago triggered the blues revival of the 1960s along with Williams. Mike Bloomfield described his experiences with Williams in the document Me and Big Joe. Williams also made recordings with Bob Dylan. Especially his game is known on a guitar with nine strings, also shown in the above " Folk Blues Festival " in Hamburg.

Big Joe Williams died in 1982 in Macon (Mississippi). He was inducted into the "Blues Hall of Fame " in 1992. On his grave site in Crawford a grave stone was erected in 1994 granite.

• American musician
• Blues musicians
• Blues Hall of Fame
• Born in 1903
• Died in 1982
• Man