MUSICIAN

Big Joe Williams

1903 - 1982

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Joseph Lee Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over five decades, he recorded the songs "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Crawlin' King Snake", and "Peach Orchard Mama", among many others, for various record labels. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on October 4, 1992. The blues historian Barry Lee Pearson (Sounds Good to Me: The Bluesman's Story, Virginia Piedmont Blues) described Williams's performance: When I saw him playing at Mike Bloomfield's "blues night" at the Fickle Pickle, Williams was playing an electric nine-string guitar through a small ramshackle amp with a pie plate nailed to it and a beer can dangling against that. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Big Joe Williams is the 2,339th most popular musician (down from 2,144th in 2019), the 12,825th most popular biography from United States (down from 11,279th in 2019) and the 960th most popular American Musician.

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Big Joe Williams ranks 2,339 out of 3,175. Before him are Steve Coleman, William Orbit, Pata, Harry Carney, Ian Mosley, and Dorothy Ashby. After him are Roope Latvala, John Dankworth, Michael Romeo, Buzz Osborne, Mustard, and Atticus Ross.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1903, Big Joe Williams ranks 360. Before him are Lennox Berkeley, Estes Kefauver, José Miracca, Kathryn McGuire, Binnie Barnes, and June Marlowe. After him are Tampa Red, Al Hirschfeld, Gloria Holden, Dorothy Mackaill, Phyllis A. Whitney, and Tiny Thompson. Among people deceased in 1982, Big Joe Williams ranks 302. Before him are Vivien Merchant, Theo Fitzau, Lester Bangs, Hugh Marlowe, Paul Lynde, and Eric Brandon. After him are Hilda James, Arthur Lowe, Bernard Malivoire, Hans Conried, Tom Tully, and Bill Eckersley.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Big Joe Williams ranks 12,829 out of 20,380. Before him are Henry Warner Slocum (1827), Rusty Wailes (1926), Pat Crowley (1933), Emma Caulfield (1973), Dorothy Ashby (1932), and Diane Neal (1976). After him are Jessica Meir (1977), Jordan Mechner (1964), Jane Withers (1926), Todd Bridges (1965), Marion Jones (1975), and Bruce Baumgartner (1960).

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Big Joe Williams ranks 960. Before him are Jimmy Rogers (1924), Jimmy Chamberlin (1964), Al Pitrelli (1962), Steve Coleman (1956), Harry Carney (1910), and Dorothy Ashby (1932). After him are Michael Romeo (1968), Buzz Osborne (1964), Mustard (1990), Jerry Harrison (1949), Meredith Brooks (1958), and Shirley Scott (1934).

American born Musicians

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