Billy Williams (singer)

Billy Williams (born December 28, 1910 in Waco , Texas - † October 17, 1972 in Chicago ) was an American singer who had great success with the cover version of Fats Wallers I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter in 1957 . The trademark of his songs was a short "Oh, Yeah" at the end of the lyrics.

Career

Williams was the singer and front man of the gospel group The Charioteers from 1930 to 1950 . He then founded his own band , the "Billy Williams Quartet" with Eugene Dixon , Claude Riddick and John Ball , with which he had two chart hits in 1951. Several television appearances followed, particularly on Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar . From 1956 he returned to the charts solo and with the quartet and had his greatest success a year later with his version of I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter , a number 5 hit for Fats Waller in 1935 . It reached # 3 on the US radio charts and also came to the UK in the charts. Until 1959 he was particularly successful with recording hits from the 1920s and 1930s.

In the early 1960s he lost his voice due to diabetes . He then moved to Chicago and worked as a social worker until his death.

Discography

Albums

• 1957: The Billy Williams Quartet ( MGM )
• 1957: Oh Yeah ( Mercury 20317)
• 1957: Billy Williams ( Coral 57184)
• 1958: The Charioteers With Billy Williams (with The Charioteers ; Harmony 7089)
• 1959: Half Sweet, Half Beat (Coral 57251)
• 1959: Vote for Billy Williams (Wing 12131)
• 1960: The Billy Williams Revue Featuring Billy Williams (Coral 57343)
• 1981: The Billy Syndrome (Billy Williams Quartet; Sison)
• 2009: A Letter from Billy Willams (compilation; Jasmine Records; release: January 9th)

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)			Remarks
		UK	US	R&B
1951	(Why Did I Tell You I Was Going To) Shanghai	-	US20 (6 weeks) US	-	First published: June 1957 Billy Williams Quartet (with Leroy Holmes and His Orchestra) Authors: Bob Hilliard, Milton DeLugg
	(It's No) Sin	-	US28 (2 weeks) US	-	Billy Williams Quartet Music: George Hoven, Text: Chester R. Shull Number 1 hit for Eddy Howard
1956	A Crazy Little Palace (That's My Home) Billy Williams (1957)	-	US49 (10 weeks) US	-	First published: January 1956 Billy Williams Quartet Authors: Bernie Lowe, Bix Reichner, Cal Rotherman
1957	The Pied Piper	-	US50 (4 weeks) US	-	First published: January 1957 (with the Jimmy Haskelle Orchestra) Author: Anthony September
	I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter Billy Williams (1957)	UK22 (9 weeks) UK	US3 (23 weeks) US	R&B9 (1 week) R&B	First publication: May 1957 non-certified million seller Authors: Fred E. Ahlert, Joe Young 1935 a hit for Fats Waller
	Got a date with an Angel	-	US78 (4 weeks) US	-	First published: September 1957 Authors: C. Gray, S. Miller, J. Walter, J. Tunbridge 1932 a hit for the Debroy Somers Band
1958	Baby baby	-	US78 (2 weeks) US	-	First published: December 1957 Billy Williams Quartet Author: Jesse Stone
	I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)	-	US87 (2 weeks) US	-	First published: June 1958 Authors: Fred E. Ahlert, Roy Turk 1929 a hit for Ruth Etting , 1944 a number one hit for Dick Haymes
1959	Nola Half Sweet, Half Beat	-	US39 (12 weeks) US	-	First published: January 1959 Authors: Felix Arndt, Sunny Skylar Original: Felix Arndt, 1915
	Goodnight Irene Half Sweet, Half Beat	-	US75 (1 week) US	-	First published: March 1959 Authors: Huddie Ledbetter , John Lomax Original: Leadbelly , 1933 based on Gussie Lord Davis' Irene, Good Night from 1886

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More singles

• 1952: Wheel of Fortune (Billy Williams Quartet)
• 1952: What You Don't Know of Love (Billy Williams Quartet)
• 1952: Who Knows (Billy Williams Quartet; released July)
• 1952: I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) (Billy Williams Quartet; release: September)
• 1953: Pour Me a Glass of Teardrops (Billy Williams Quartet; released February)
• 1953: Cattle Call (Billy Williams Quartet; release: September)
• 1953: If I Never Get to Heaven (Billy Williams Quartet; release: November)
• 1954: I've Got an Invitation to a Dance (Billy Williams Quartet; release: February)
• 1954: Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream) (Billy Williams Quartet; release: July)
• 1954: The Honeydripper (Billy Williams Quartet; released September)
• 1954: Go Home, Joe (Billy Williams Quartet)
• 1955: Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) (Billy Williams Quartet)
• 1955: I Wanna Hug You, Kiss You, Squeeze You (That's What's the Matter with Me) (Billy Williams Quartet; release: January)
• 1955: Glory of Love (Billy Williams Quartet)
• 1955: Learning to Love (Billy Williams Quartet; release: September)
• 1956: Cry Baby (Billy Williams Quartet; released January)
• 1956: Pray (released June)
• 1956: I Guess I'll Be On My Way
• 1956: Don't Cry on My Shoulder (release: October)
• 1956: StormyAu (release: November)
• 1957: I've Got an Invitation to a Dance (release: August 30th)
• 1958: It Hurts So Much (Release: August)
• 1959: Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep (release: July)
• 1959: Smack Dab in the Middle (release: September)
• 1960: I Cried for You (release: June)
• 1960: For You (release: September)
• 1964: Raise Your Hand (release: October)

swell

1. ^ Billboard Pop Hits Singles & Albums 1940–1954 by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2002, ISBN 978-0-89820-198-7
2. ^ Joel Whitburn: The Billboard Book of USA Top 40 Hits , 5th. Edition, Guinness Publishing Limited, Enfield, Middlesex 1992, pp. 494, ISBN 0-85112-528-X .
3. ↑ Chart sources: UK Billboard Hot 100 (Quartet) Billboard Hot 100 (Solo)
4. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .

Web links

• Billy Williams at Allmusic (English)
• Billy Williams at Discogs (English)
• Billy Williams at 45cat.com
• The Charioteers, The Quartet, and Billy Williams at earthlink.net
• Discography ( Memento from May 28, 2003 in the Internet Archive )