DESCRIPTION:
I do not own the copyright to this recording. This video is for historical and educational purposes

Composed by Bill Williams

Bill Williams was born in Richmond, VA. on February 28, 1898. He taught himself how to play guitar at the age of ten listening to songs such as "St. Louis Blues" & "John Henry". At the age of 14, he hopped aboard trains and went all over the country (Delaware, Colorado and Florida for example), and played a mixture of blues, pop standards and whatever else people wanted to hear. Some of these gigs didn't put any money in his pocket, and we was one of the few bluesmen that actually preferred labor so he could live. In the early 1920's, he was performing gigs with Blind Blake in the Bristol, TN. area. In 1922 he left Bristol for Greenup, KY. where he accepted a job working for the C&O Railroad in the nearby town of Hussell. He would remain in Greenup for the rest of his life. Nick Perls the owner of the Yazoo & Blue Goose labels found him in the late 1960's. Williams hadn't performed publicly in a long time and was somewhat puzzled as why Perls wanted to record him. (Wlliams was 73 years old by this time). But Perls recorded a whole album by him and the recordings led Williams to get back on the performing circuit making appearances at shows in Chicago, New York and all over Kentucky. Williams passed away in Greenup, on October 6, 1973, due to a heart attack.

Bill Williams:Vocals & Guitar

Recorded in Greenup, KY. 1970

Originally issued on and this recording taken from the 1970 album "Bill Williams:Low And Lonesome" (Blue Goose 2004) (LP)