Recent from talks
Larry Williams
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Larry Williams
Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is most notable for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "Slow Down", "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy" (1958), "Bad Boy" and "She Said Yeah" (1959). John Lennon was an admirer, and the Beatles and several other British Invasion groups recorded several of his songs.
Williams' life mixed tremendous success with violence and drug addiction. He was a longtime friend of Little Richard, with whom his life intertwined personally and professionally from their meeting in 1955 to Williams' death in 1980.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 10, 1935, Williams moved west with his family early in his childhood. He spent some time with relatives in Chicago, Illinois, before relocating to Oakland, California in 1945. Williams learned to play piano as a boy. As a teen he joined a local R&B band in Oakland, Calif., when his parents relocated there.
Williams returned to New Orleans in 1954 and began working for his cousin, singer Lloyd Price, as a valet. He played in the bands of Price, Roy Brown, and Percy Mayfield. In 1955, Williams met and developed a friendship with Little Richard, who was recording at the time in New Orleans. Price and Little Richard were both recording for Specialty Records. He was introduced to Robert Blackwell, Specialty's house producer, and was signed to the label.
In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but he left rock and roll to pursue the ministry. Williams quickly was groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles.
Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his bestseller, reaching No. 5 in Billboard's pop chart, "Bony Moronie", which peaked at No. 14, and its flip-side "You Bug Me Baby" which made it to No. 45. "Short Fat Fannie" and "Bony Moronie" each sold over one million copies.
After 1957, Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy", which charted at No. 69 on Billboard's Pop chart in 1958. "Heebie Jeebies" was recorded with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor saxophone and Jewel Grant on baritone, René Hall and Howard Roberts on guitars, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. After he was arrested for possession of narcotics and guns in 1959, he was dropped from Specialty. He recorded for Chess Records but no hits were produced. Williams then served a three-year jail term, setting back his career considerably.
Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two of Little Richard's albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in 10 years and spawned the hit single "Poor Dog". He also acted as the music director for Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed. Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. "Too Late", the B-side of 1967 single "Two for the Price of One" became one of the biggest songs on the Northern Soul scene in England, and remains prized due to its rarity as the single failed commercially.
Hub AI
Larry Williams AI simulator
(@Larry Williams_simulator)
Larry Williams
Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is most notable for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "Slow Down", "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy" (1958), "Bad Boy" and "She Said Yeah" (1959). John Lennon was an admirer, and the Beatles and several other British Invasion groups recorded several of his songs.
Williams' life mixed tremendous success with violence and drug addiction. He was a longtime friend of Little Richard, with whom his life intertwined personally and professionally from their meeting in 1955 to Williams' death in 1980.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 10, 1935, Williams moved west with his family early in his childhood. He spent some time with relatives in Chicago, Illinois, before relocating to Oakland, California in 1945. Williams learned to play piano as a boy. As a teen he joined a local R&B band in Oakland, Calif., when his parents relocated there.
Williams returned to New Orleans in 1954 and began working for his cousin, singer Lloyd Price, as a valet. He played in the bands of Price, Roy Brown, and Percy Mayfield. In 1955, Williams met and developed a friendship with Little Richard, who was recording at the time in New Orleans. Price and Little Richard were both recording for Specialty Records. He was introduced to Robert Blackwell, Specialty's house producer, and was signed to the label.
In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but he left rock and roll to pursue the ministry. Williams quickly was groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles.
Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his bestseller, reaching No. 5 in Billboard's pop chart, "Bony Moronie", which peaked at No. 14, and its flip-side "You Bug Me Baby" which made it to No. 45. "Short Fat Fannie" and "Bony Moronie" each sold over one million copies.
After 1957, Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy", which charted at No. 69 on Billboard's Pop chart in 1958. "Heebie Jeebies" was recorded with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor saxophone and Jewel Grant on baritone, René Hall and Howard Roberts on guitars, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. After he was arrested for possession of narcotics and guns in 1959, he was dropped from Specialty. He recorded for Chess Records but no hits were produced. Williams then served a three-year jail term, setting back his career considerably.
Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two of Little Richard's albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in 10 years and spawned the hit single "Poor Dog". He also acted as the music director for Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed. Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. "Too Late", the B-side of 1967 single "Two for the Price of One" became one of the biggest songs on the Northern Soul scene in England, and remains prized due to its rarity as the single failed commercially.