Big Joe Williams
A raw, itinerant Delta blues pioneer whose homemade nine-string guitar and fierce, driving style directly shaped the sound of rock and roll.
1903–1982 (age 79)·American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter·Birthday: October 16·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Big Joe Williams was the archetypal traveling bluesman, a figure of near-mythic endurance who carried the raw, unfiltered sound of the Mississippi Delta across America for over half a century. With a homemade nine-string guitar slung over his shoulder—an instrument he modified for a deeper, more percussive roar—and a voice like gravel, he was a one-man juke joint. His life was the blues: hopping freight trains, playing on street corners, in turpentine camps, and at rough-hewn country dances. He recorded prolifically, first for the Library of Congress and later for labels like Bluebird and Vocalion, laying down definitive, primal versions of standards like 'Baby, Please Don't Go' and 'Crawlin' King Snake.' Fiercely independent and known for a volatile temper, he nonetheless mentored a young Muddy Waters and influenced generations of musicians with his relentless, rhythmic guitar work. He never stopped touring, playing festivals and clubs well into the 1970s, a living bridge from the earliest rural blues to the electric Chicago sound and beyond.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Big was born in 1903, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Big Was Born
The biggest hits of 1903
Big's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1903Born
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Started school
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Became a teenager
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could drive
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Could vote
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Turned 21
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1933Turned 30
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 40
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 50
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 60
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 70
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Died at 79
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
Key Achievements
- Wrote and recorded the blues standard 'Baby, Please Don't Go,' later covered by countless rock and blues artists.
- Developed a unique, powerful sound using a self-modified nine-string acoustic guitar.
- Recorded extensively over five decades for major labels including Bluebird, Okeh, and Delmark, leaving a vast discography.
- Was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1992 for his foundational contributions to the genre.
- Influenced the development of Chicago blues, directly mentoring a young Muddy Waters in the early 1940s.
Did You Know?
His famous nine-string guitar was a standard six-string to which he added three extra strings, often tuning them in unconventional ways.
He was known for his nomadic lifestyle and sometimes difficult personality; stories of his fights and unpredictability are part of his legend.
He recorded for the legendary field researcher Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress in the 1930s.
In the 1960s, he was 'rediscovered' and became a staple of the folk and blues festival circuit, introducing his music to a new, white audience.
“I play a nine-string guitar, and I tune it any way I want.”
