Joe Williams was an American singer known for singing jazz, blues and ballads in a smooth baritone voice.

He was born in Cordele, Georgia and raised in Chicago, where he formed and sang with the gospel group, the Jubilee Boys. In 1937 he joined Jimmie Noone’s band then sang with Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton and Red Saunders. He made his first recording with Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy.

He got his big break in 1954 when he became the male vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra. During his time with Basie, he recorded many hits, such as “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Alright, Okay, You Win,” and “Going to Chicago.” The crowd came to love the rich timbre of his voice, his wit and his style. During this time, Williams made his solo-billed debut LP for Regent in 1956 and released a trio of albums for Roulette.

In 1961, he started his successful solo career, where he performed at clubs and on television. He was a favourite of Johnny Carson and acted on Moonshine War, The Cosby Show and Lou Grant.

Williams sang with the Basie orchestra in two films, Jamboree in 1957 and Cinderfella in 1960. He later worked with more musicians such as Harry “Sweets” Edison, Junior Mance, George Shearing, and Cannonball Adderley. He toured from Egypt to India with Clark Terry in 1977 and in Europe and the United States with Thad Jones and the Basie Orchestra in 1985.

He won the 1984 Grammy Award for best jazz vocal performance with the album Nothin’ but the Blues. John continued to sing until his death in Las Vegas on March 29, 1999, at the age of 80. He was added to the Jazz Wall of Fame of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2001.