Paul Williams (saxophonist)
| Paul Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 13, 1915 Lewisburg, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | September 14, 2002 (aged 87) New York City, United States |
| Genres | R&B, jump blues |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader, saxophonist |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1930s—1960s |
| Labels | Savoy, Atlantic |
| Website | http://paulhucklebuckwilliams.com/ |
Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams (July 13, 1915 – September 14, 2002) was an African-American jazz and blues saxophonist, bandleader and songwriter. His record "The Huckle-Buck", recorded in December 1948, was one of the most successful R&B records of the time. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credited Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Williams was born in Lewisburg, Tennessee, and grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, before moving with his parents to Detroit at the age of 13. He started learning saxophone and played in school bands before forming his own band, Paul Williams and his Kings of Rhythm, with the trumpeter Lloyd Henderson, in the mid-1930s, and playing in local clubs. The band split up during World War II, and Williams then joined Clarence Dorsey's band. He toured with the band, then known as the Sensational Six, until 1945, when he left to join another local band, led by King Porter (born James A. Pope, 1916–1983).
Williams became known for his showmanship in Porter's band. He made his first recordings with Porter for the Paradise label in 1947. He attracted the attention of the agent and record producer Teddy Reig and, under Reig's tutelage, formed his own band. Credited as the Paul Williams Sextette, they recorded in Detroit for Savoy Records in September 1947, and "Thirty-Five Thirty" (named for Joe Von Battle's record shop at 3530 Hastings Street) reached number 8 on the Billboard R&B chart (then called the race records chart) in early 1948. Wiliams followed up its success with three further chart hits released in 1948 – "The Twister" (which, according to Joel Whitburn, "had a 'rockin' beat" and "laid the foundation for Hank Ballard's 'The Twist'"); "Waxie Maxie"; and "Walkin' Around" – all featuring the honking tenor sax of Wild Bill Moore.
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