Williams, Joe, 1918-1999
Description
Jazz musician Joe Williams was born Joseph Goreed in the small farming town of Cordele, Georgia on December 12, 1918. When Joe was four years old he and his mother moved to Chicago to be near family. The jazz music scene of Chicago in the early 1920s greatly influenced Joe in his later life. Years later he recalled going to the Vendome Theatre with his mother to hear Louis Armstrong play his trumpet. Already a budding vocalist, he taught himself to play the piano and formed his own gospel quartet known as "The Jubilee Boys," which traveled around the Chicago area performing at various church functions.
At the age of sixteen Joe dropped out of school to pursue singing full time. His family had confidence in his rich baritone voice and at a family meeting they all decided on "Williams" as his stage name.
During his early twenties Williams began performing as a vocalist, singing solo at formal events with local bands and began making a name for himself. In 1942 Lionel Hampton hired him to fill in for his regular vocalist, both at home and on tour. At age 35 he was hired as the male vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra in Kansas City, Missouri. His first album appeared in 1955. During the 1960s he worked mostly as a solo artist, often accompanied by popular jazzmen including Harry Edison, Clark Terry and George Shearing. He became a familiar face on television, appearing on many variety shows such as Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show.
Williams continued to perform regularly at jazz festivals around the world, as well as on the nightclub circuit. During the 1980s Williams appeared at the Chicago Playboy Jazz Festival ten times. He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983 next to Count Basie.
He enjoyed a successful career and worked until his death, though he never performed in Las Vegas. He died at age 80, March 29, 1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Source:
Heckman, Don. "Jazz Singer Joe Williams Dies After Collapsing in Las Vegas."
