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Paul Williams (bluegrass musician)

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"Big" Paul Williams (born Paul Humphrey, 30 March 1935) is an American bluegrass and gospel musician.[1][2] He took the surname Williams when he began his musical career in the early 1950s.[3] He was guitarist and lead singer for the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers before replacing Earl Taylor in the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1957, playing mandolin and being featured regularly as a lead singer.[3][4]

He played with Jimmy Martin at the height of the Sunny Mountain Boys career, recording steadily through 1962 and at times competing for popularity with Elvis Presley.[5] Williams is said to have helped shape Martin's sound.[3] He was present in the recording process for what Martin has said were the "biggest selling records I've ever done." Williams co-wrote the perennially popular hit "Hold Watcha Got."[6]

During William’s career he wrote many iconic bluegrass songs with significant historical value.[according to whom?] Songs such as Mr. Engineer, My Walkin' Shoes Don’t Fit Me Anymore, Steppin' Stones, Hold Watcha Got, Don't Cry To Me, Prayer Bells Of Heaven, I Like To Hear Them Preach It and My Brown Eyed Darling.

Williams left from Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1962. He married Jimmy Martin's half sister who told him that "he couldn't play bluegrass music and live for the Lord." He went on to play gospel music with the Northside Quartet and later on achieved some success and a Grammy nomination with the Victory Trio, based out of his hometown, Morristown, Tennessee.

Williams started his own band the Victory Trio in 1995 with Banjo player Jerry Keys, Bass player Susie Keys along with Dan Moneyhun and Adam Winstead. His band has alway been considered a vessel to spread the Christian faith for Williams.

Shortly after retiring from touring with the victory trio Williams teamed up again with Bluegrass legends JD Crowe and Doyle Lawson and recorded a series of albums full of original Jimmy Martin Songs, some of which Williams helped write.

In 2018, Williams was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Reid, Gary (11 December 2018). "Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees: Paul Williams". Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  2. ^ Hatley, Sandy (28 November 2022). "One of the best - a conversation with Paul Williams". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Goldsmith, Thomas. The Bluegrass Reader. 2004. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, ISBN 0-252-07365-7.
  4. ^ Godbey, Marty (September 1, 2011). Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252093531. Retrieved December 8, 2019. 'Paul was playing the best mandolin rhythm to fit with my guitar playing,' Jimmy Martin said. 'He was the best I ever heard.'
  5. ^ Willis, Barry R., xz America's Music: Bluegrass. 1997. Pine Valley Music, ISBN 0-9652407-0-3.
  6. ^ Piazza, Tom. True Adventures With the King of Bluegrass. 1999. Vanderbilt University Press & Country Music Foundation Press, ISBN 0-8265-1680-7.

Bibliography

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