Andre Williams

Zephire "Andre" Williams earned the nickname Father of Rap through a multifaceted career that spanned performance, songwriting, production, tour management, and additional capacities over many decades. Born November 1, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, he spent his early years in a housing project under his mother’s care until she passed away when he reached six. His aunts then assumed responsibility for the already flamboyant youngster.

Best remembered for his work on “Twine Time” with Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, “Shake a Tail Feather” by the Five Dutones, and his own gritty solo track “Bacon Fat,” the R&B figure delivered spoken vocals over a raw, driving beat. A sharp, streetwise dresser, Williams treated music as one of several enterprises. In his late teens he relocated to Detroit, where he formed ties with Fortune Records proprietors Jack and Devora Brown. There he performed with the Don Juans, a group whose singles the Browns credited to whichever member handled lead vocals—a practice later echoed by Gwen Gordy and Billy Davis with the Voicemasters. At Fortune, Williams honed his arranging skills, eventually registering more than 230 compositions with BMI.

Fortune issued seven singles under Williams’ name in 1956, most shared with the Don Juans: “Going Down to Tia Juana,” “It’s All Over,” “Bacon Fat,” “Mean Jean,” “Jail Bait,” “The Greasy Chicken,” and “Country Girl.” The solo sides “Bacon Fat” and “Jail Bait” appeared separately; Epic Records later assumed distribution of the former after demand exceeded Fortune’s capacity. Additional 1956 releases on the label included “Ooh Ooh Those Eyes” by Don Lake & the Don Juans and two Joe Weaver & the Don Juans sides, “Baby I Love You” and “Baby Child.” Little Eddie & the Don Juans had already cut the group’s debut Fortune single, “This Is a Miracle” b/w “Calypso Beat,” in 1955. Williams subsequently joined the Five Dollars, whose Fortune output ran from 1956 to 1957; a 1960 release billed the act as Andre Williams & the Five Dollars.

While affiliated with Fortune, Williams performed regularly at Detroit clubs and venues farther afield, among them Memphis’s Flamingo Club. His biggest solo success, “Bacon Fat,” originated during one such drive to the Flamingo; upon returning he convinced Devora Brown to schedule studio time. The Browns’ facility occupied the back room of their record shop. Williams arrived for his third Fortune session without lyrics, scribbling them on a napkin as Devora positioned microphones. Only DJ Frantic Eddie Durham grasped the experiment; others present, including Joe Weaver, viewed the talk-singing approach as wasteful. Durham and Williams were vindicated when “Bacon Fat” became one of Fortune’s biggest sellers, rivaled only by Nolan Strong & the Diablos’ “The Wind.” Williams adopted spoken delivery because he recognized he could not match the vocal prowess of Nolan Strong, Clyde McPhatter, Little Willie John, or Jackie Wilson, thereby originating a style later taken up by Harvey Fuqua, Jerry-O, Shorty Long, and Bootsy Collins.

After leaving Fortune, Williams spent 1961 to 1965 at Motown under Berry Gordy in the combined capacities of artist, producer, and writer. His lone scheduled 45, “Rosa Lee” b/w “Shoo Ooo,” was slated for the short-lived Miracle imprint but remained unreleased. Former Don Juans associate Gina Parks issued a pair of solo singles on Motown subsidiaries without notable success. Williams co-wrote Little Stevie Wonder’s debut “Thank You for Loving Me,” the B-side “Oh Little Boy What You Do to Me” of Mary Wells’ “My Guy,” Eddie Holland’s early single “If Cleopatra Took a Chance,” and “Mojo Hannah,” first recorded by Henry Lumpkin and later by Marvin Gaye, with subsequent versions by Tami Lynn, the Ideals, and the Neville Brothers.

Although mutual respect existed between Williams and Gordy, their association proved volatile. Williams resisted Gordy’s methods, and his four years at the company were non-consecutive; when tensions peaked, Gordy would dismiss him, only to rehire him after Williams scored outside hits. While still connected to Motown, Williams masterminded “Shake a Tail Feather” for the Five Dutones and “Twine Time” for Alvin Cash & the Crawlers on Chicago’s Onederful label. He oversaw numerous Contours sessions—by his count enough for two full albums—yet few tracks saw release. He also co-wrote Edwin Starr’s “Girls Are Getting Prettier” for Ric Tic and briefly served as Starr’s road manager.

In 1965 Williams departed Motown permanently for Chess Records in Chicago, issuing a series of R&B singles that included “The Stroke,” “Girdle Up,” “Humpin’ Bumpin’ & Thumpin’,” and “Cadillac Jack.” His reputation expanded as he continued performing in rough venues while clad in lavender suits. Among later productions and compositions was Bull & the Matadors’ “The Funky Judge” on Toddlin’ Town. An 18-month tenure with Ike Turner preceded a period of severe addiction; Williams returned to Chicago as a heavy user and struggled for years. His most prominent artist phase occurred around 1960 with Fortune’s release of the Jail Bait LP. Session contributions extended to Parliament, Jesse James, Funkadelic, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Spinners, Trey Lewd, and Amos Milburn. He also produced material for Mary Wells after she moved to 20th Century Fox Records.

Williams eventually settled in Queens, New York, resuming active involvement in music. He appeared at improved venues, captivating crowds with his characteristic style and flamboyant attire. The 1990s yielded more albums than his earlier decades combined, among them Silky and Directly from the Streets. The Black Godfather and Fat Back & Corn Liquor arrived in 2000. In 2008 he collaborated with the New Orleans Hellhounds on Can You Deal with It? for Bloodshot Records. For 2010’s That’s All I Need on the same label he worked with Detroit players drawn from the Dirtbombs, the Witches, the Volebeats, and guitarist Dennis Coffey of the Funk Brothers. Further sessions with Coffey, guitarist Matt Smith, and guests Jim White, Greasy Carlisi, Jim Diamond, and Don Was produced the 2012 album Hoods and Shades, issued early that year on Bloodshot.

Night & Day, his second 2012 release and second collaboration with Toronto’s the Sadies after 1999’s Red Dirt, originated in 2008 during personal difficulties but was completed once Williams returned to the studio sober. It appeared in spring 2012. Later that October, Life—recorded in Detroit and fronted by the single “Blame It on Obama”—emerged. Following a four-year hiatus, Williams issued I Wanna Go Back to Detroit City in 2016, featuring contributions from Dennis Coffey, Matthew Smith, and Dan Kroha. Before year’s end he released another album, Don’t Ever Give Up. He died March 17, 2019.