Biography
Born on 12 March 1930 in Crockett, Texas, Williams died on 18 October 1960 in Houston. His childhood unfolded in Mullican, Texas, until he shifted to Houston near 1945, where he took up singing and dancing in local dancehalls and bars while also mastering the drums. After crossing paths with Lightnin’ Hopkins, he cut three singles for Bill Quinn’s Gold Star label—billed as ‘Lightnin’ Jnr.’ and supported by Hopkins on guitar and piano—plus a fourth split between pianists Leroy Carter and Elmore Nixon, all later reissued. Six further sides appeared on Solomon Kahal’s Houston-based Freedom imprint, among them the pairing of ‘My Darkest Hour’ and ‘I Want My Baby Back’ that Imperial Records picked up, most featuring Conrad Johnson’s Conney’s Combo. In 1951 he laid down at least four tracks, including ‘Baby Child’ and ‘Fannie Mae’, for New Yorker Bob Shad’s Sittin In With label, and Shad likely oversaw Williams’ last commercial date that same year for Mercury Records, backed by saxophonist Henry Hayes And His Rhythm Kings. Addicted to cheap wine and afflicted with tuberculosis, Williams taped one final number with Hopkins and harmonica player Luke ‘Long Gone’ Miles just before his death. Asked what his initials stood for, he answered ‘love crazy’; fittingly, his lungs collapsed.
Albums
