Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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WILLIAMS, 'Big' Joe

(b 16 Oct. '03, Crawford MS; d 17 Dec. '82) Blues singer, guitarist; aka Po' Joe Williams; not to be confused with the jazz singer/balladeer Joe Williams (see below); there were two or three more blues singers named Joe Williams, one recording before WWII, at least two who recorded after the war. Big Joe had a distinctive sound on a nine-string guitar. One of 16 children, he made himself a one-string instrument, began singing as a small child; worked in railroad gangs, lumber camps; recorded for Bluebird '35--41; later LPs incl. Nine String Guitar Blues and Pineywood Blues ('58, with J. D. Short) on Delmark, Shake Your Boogie on Arhoolie, Legacy Of The Blues Vol. 6 '72 on GNP, others on Fantasy, Testament, Storyville, Smithsonian/Folkways etc.