User:Ziggy 242/Pioneer of bluegrass

Jimmy Williams a Pioneer of Bluegrass. FROM PIONEER,INTO THE HISTORY OF BLUEGRASS AND IT'S HALL OF FAME. Jimmy Williams stepped on the stage at the age of thirteen (1945) starting out with his cusion Paul Williams, they were known as "The Williams Brothers". Then Jim joined Hobe Riggins and The Ramblers and added his hot licks in the mandolin. After, he worked with Zeke Hoskins and added that driving mandolin sound. Before long Jim Joinded "The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers" who has been inducted into The Bluegrass hall of fame, Jim was commended as a PIONEER of bluegrass industry and received a lifetime mimbership plaque for his work with that band(see interational bluegrass music association, Dan Hays,Director) At age sixteen Jimmy Williams joined Mac Wiseman, Jim sang lead and played his hard driving sound on the mandolin and did several recordings(see Early Dot recordings volume three) with songs like " IT'S GOOD BY AND SO LONG TO YOU", "SIX MORE MILES", "WAITING FOR THE BOYS", and "FIRE IN MY HEART" recorded at the rado station WHIN-Gallatin Tn. summer of 1952/1959 and "YOUR SWEETER THAN HONEY" and "GOING LIKE WILD FIRE" at Castel Studios, Nashville,Tn. in 1952 Jimmy Williams can be seen on the cover of "Bluegrass Unlimited" February, 1970" The cover photo circa 1953 with Mac Wiseman-guitar, Cubby Collie-fiddle, Jim Williams-mandolin, and Wayne Brown-banjo(see bluegrass unlimited). Also in "Bluegrass Unlimited" February,1989" a great write up on Jim by Michelle Putnam, that covers a lot of Jimmy's lifes work. "So it seems time will not forget THIS PIONEER sideman of the mandolin his legacy is in the numerous recordings made during the several decades, and in the people who seek him out and remember."(see bluegrass unilimited By Michelle Putnam). But Jim left Mac Wiseman and the Country Boys and moved home for a short time,But Jim got the music fever once again, He looked up the Stanley Brothers... Jimmy said "I took the bus to detroit and got a job at Ford Moter co. the Stanley Brothers were all ready working there, I was staying with Carter at the time, One night I took them out to the Casey Clark Jamberee to see Jimmy Martian & The Sunny Moutain boys, after the show I told them boys We are too good to be bulding cars lets get back to the bussness of makeing music". And in 1953 when the Clinch Mountain Boys (Carter & Ralph Stanley, Big Jim Williams, Art Stamper and George Shuffler) hit the "Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville Tnnessee, They made what many have considered to be some of the best, hard-driving bluegrass music ever played!" (see bluegrsaa unlimited, by Ivan Tribe). They recorded four songs at that time, "THE WERY HEART YOU STOLE AWAY", "OUR LAST GOOD BYE", "(SAY)WONT YOU BE MINE", and "I'M LONESOME WITH OUT YOU" they were also playing The Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond Va. and the Fun Farm Time on WCYB in Bristol. Jimmy went on to record such great tunes as "MEMORIES OF MOTHER", "THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL" and many more on Mercury Records. Along the way Jimmy Williams stepped out as Jimmy Lee and released on Fortune Records "YOU AIN'T NO GOOD FOR ME" b/w "SAD AND LONELY" andon Clis Records "SHE'S GONE" b/w "BABY, BABY, BABY," "Then there was Jimmy Lee, Whose weirdly etheral falsetto framed the very first Clix release, "She's Gone" b/w " Baby, Baby, Baby". Forecasting the genre-busting future of the imprint, Lee struk a mood both sophisticated and primal, his earthy vocals backed by modern jazz piano runs, jumping horns, jiving backing vocals and-so as to not get too "uptown"-a primal electric guitar. With just one other fortay into rock'n'roll-thehaunting hill-jack blues " YOU AIN'T NO GOOD FOR ME"(b/w "SAD AND LONELY")which he waxed for Detroit's Fortune lable in 1956- Lee returned to his given name of Jimmy Williams for a fruitful career in bluegrass gospel and the ministry-but not before introducing a few of his acquaintances to Henson's bare-bones Clix recordind co"(see Clix Records story:Hidden Gems from the Early Days of Detroit Rock'n'Roll)But Jimmy Williams had to return to the music of his heart...Bluegrass. In 1960 Jimmy went on to record with such greats as Charlie More and Bill Napier's Dixie Partners and while living in Panama City, Florida played a daily 30 minute show on the T.V. station WJHG with such songs as "TRUCK DRIVERS QUEEN" for King lable, King album "FOLK & HILL" featured "TWILIGHT SWAMP" Williams on the mandolin and singing lead on "IT HURTS TO SEE YOU GO". In 1959 Jimmy Williams & Red Ellis got together and releced on Starday Records "RANK STRANGERS" and in 1961 on Starday releced "HOLY CRY FROM THE HILL". "Bluegrass for better, worse, is changing every year, I expect a lot of what I wright will be obsolete in a few years, But if this book leads just one young person to bum a scratchy copy of Flat & Scruggs "FOGGY MOUNTAIN JAMBOREE" and if that young person is as stunned by the experience as I was fifteen years ago, I will feel this work is justifide. And hopefully, when he treks miles to the record stoe in hopes of finding an ancient copy of that first Reno & Smiley gospel Kink LP, he won't in his ignorance. pass over Jimmy Williams & red Ellis on Starday, "HOLY CRY FORM THE HILL". (see Bluegrass By Bob Arts, Hawthorn Books). Jimmy went on to form his own band to be known as JIMMY WILLIAMS AND THE GOSPEL GRASS with his wife Phyllis-doghouse base, son Virgil-5string banjo, daughter Valerie-singer, and reliced for Jessup records "SUMMER'S GONE" in1975 recorded on their own lable Gospel Grass 3 LP's "LITTLE DAVIDS HARP, "OH YES LORD" and later "SING YOUR SONG JIMMY" with Jeff Scutchfield on guitar. Jimmy Williams still playing the mandolin, fiddle, or guitar still sings, sometimes with me Valerie his daughter one of the few who can sing high tenor with this PIONEER/LEGEND of bluegrass and his grand daughter Trinity now on the 5 string banjo. Jimmy Williams is a true pioneer of bluegrass and is seen as a living legend of his trade, and these are the true facts of this pioneer legend as seen by me his daughter Valerie. Jimmy Williams can be found in numerous books, like "Definitive Country the Ultimate Encyclopedia of county music and its performers" Pg's 879, 880. "Traveling The High Way Home" Ralph Stanley and the world of traditional bluegrass music, By John Wright "Bluegrass" By Bob Artis "Man of Constant Sarrow" my life and times Ralph Stanley" Gotham Books, Penguin Publishing. And many, many more.