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Williams, Joe

orig. Joseph Goreed

(born Dec. 12, 1918, Cordele, Ga., U.S.—died March 29, 1999, Las Vegas, Nev.) U.S. singer and actor. Williams worked with Coleman Hawkins and Lionel Hampton before joining Count Basie's band in 1954. The success of “Every Day I Have the Blues” established Williams as a sophisticated blues singer with a powerful bass-baritone voice. After leaving the Basie band in 1961, Williams led small ensembles singing popular songs, ballads, and blues. He was a frequent performer on television, both as a singer and as an actor. His album won a Grammy Award in 1984.

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