Williams, Joe

orig. Joseph Goreed

born Dec. 12, 1918, Cordele, Ga., U.S.

died March 29, 1999, Las Vegas, Nev.

U.S. singer and actor.

Williams worked with Coleman Hawkins and Lionel Hampton before joining Count Basie's band in 1954. The success of "Every Day I Have the Blues" established Williams as a sophisticated blues singer with a powerful bass-baritone voice. After leaving the Basie band in 1961, Williams led small ensembles singing popular songs, ballads, and blues. During the 1980s he played the role of Grandpa Al on the television series The Cosby Show. His album Nothin' but the Blues (1984) won a Grammy Award.

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▪ 2000

Joseph Goreed 

      American jazz singer and actor (b. Dec. 12, 1918, Cordele, Ga.—d. March 29, 1999, Las Vegas, Nev.), catapulted to fame in 1955 with his rendition of “Every Day I Have the Blues,” which he sang with the Count Basie band; the hit record rejuvenated Basie's career, and Williams stayed with him for six years, singing sophisticated, dramatic, energetic blues. On his own from 1961, Williams added to his repertoire tender ballads and swinging standard songs and became one of the most popular of all jazz singers, performing with big and small bands in nightclubs, theatres, and festivals throughout the world. Williams grew up in Chicago, and he dropped out of high school to sing in Windy City nightclubs. At age 20 he joined clarinet great Jimmie Noone's band, which broadcast nationally on CBS radio, and Williams went on to tour with the Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, and Andy Kirk swing bands. His success as a performer was only intermittent, however, and to make a living he also worked in Chicago as a backstage doorman at the Regal Theater (where he also sang) and as a cosmetics salesman; in 1947 he suffered a nervous breakdown. Basie hired him away from Chicago bands in 1954; Williams's rich, wide-ranging baritone voice, his swing and clever inflections, and the new, witty kind of blues he sang rejuvenated the Basie band. Subsequently, his mastery of diction, projection, and style made him a favourite among popular singers as well as fellow jazz singers, and he appeared often on television, especially on The Tonight Show. Though he settled in Las Vegas, he toured about 40 weeks of each year, most often accompanied by small groups and occasionally with Basie and other big bands. During the 1980s he appeared on the television series The Cosby Show in the role of Grandpa Al, telling stories based on his own Chicago experiences. His 1984 album Nothin' but the Blues won a Grammy Award; he was honoured with a tribute concert at the 1989 JVC Jazz Festival (New York City), and his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was positioned next to Basie's.

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▪ American singer and actor

original name  Joseph Goreed 

born Dec. 12, 1918, Cordele, Ga., U.S.

died March 29, 1999, Las Vegas, Nev.

 American singer known for his mastery of jazz, blues, and ballads and for his association with Count Basie (Basie, Count) in the 1950s.

      Williams moved from Georgia to Chicago at the age of three. As a youth he sang with a gospel group. In 1937 he joined clarinetist Jimmie Noone (Noone, Jimmie)'s band, which was broadcast nationally. Subsequently Williams worked with the big bands of Coleman Hawkins (Hawkins, Coleman), Lionel Hampton (Hampton, Lionel), Andy Kirk, and Red Saunders; he made his recording debut in 1950. Williams was unable at this point to work full time in music; he held a job as backstage doorman at Chicago's Regal Theater, where he met some of the era's great jazz musicians.

      Williams's breakthrough came when he joined the Count Basie Orchestra in 1954. His recording of "Every Day I Have the Blues" with Basie in 1955 made him famous and was a factor in the Basie band's comeback. Staying with Basie until 1961, Williams also had hits with "Alright, Okay, You Win," "Going to Chicago," and "The Comeback." The rich timbre of Williams's baritone voice, his smooth delivery, his wit, and his style were widely appreciated by critics, audiences, and other performers.

      Williams launched a solo career in 1961. He began this period as coleader of a group with trumpeter Harry Edison, and in later years he fronted small combos. For recording sessions Williams was teamed with Cannonball Adderley (Adderley, Cannonball), George Shearing, and the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra, among others. Williams spent many weeks of each year on the road, appearing with big bands or as a solo act in nightclubs, at jazz festivals, on cruises, and on television (he was a favourite of Johnny Carson). He also acted in the movie The Moonshine War (1970) and on such television series as The Cosby Show (1985–92) and Lou Grant (1982). He won the 1984 Grammy Award for best jazz vocal performance with the album Nothin' but the Blues.

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