Larry Williams
A New Orleans rock and roll architect whose raw, piano-pounding hits became essential fuel for the British Invasion and rock's rebellious spirit.
1935–1980 (age 45)·American R&B and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist·Birthday: May 10·The Silent Generation
Biography
Larry Williams burst out of the fertile New Orleans music scene with a string of incendiary singles that captured the wild, untamed energy of late-1950s rock and roll. Working alongside producer 'Bumps' Blackwell at Specialty Records, he crafted a sound defined by driving piano, a swaggering vocal delivery, and lyrics that celebrated characters on the fringe. Tracks like 'Short Fat Fannie' and 'Bony Moronie' were jukebox staples, while 'Slow Down' and 'Dizzy, Miss Lizzy' possessed a gritty urgency. His influence, however, truly exploded across the Atlantic. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, hungry for authentic American rock, covered his songs extensively, embedding Williams's songwriting into the foundation of 1960s rock. Despite a career hampered by personal struggles, his compact, explosive recordings remain a masterclass in rock's formative power.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Larry was born in 1935, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Larry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1935
#1 Movie
Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Picture
Mutiny on the Bounty
Larry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1935Born
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1940Started school
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1948Became a teenager
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Could drive
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1953Could vote
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
1956Turned 21
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1965Turned 30
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 40
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Died at 45
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
Key Achievements
- Wrote and recorded the rock and roll standards 'Short Fat Fannie' and 'Bony Moronie' in 1957.
- Penned 'Slow Down' and 'Dizzy, Miss Lizzy,' which became major hits for The Beatles in 1964 and 1965.
- His song 'She Said Yeah' was covered by The Rolling Stones on their 1965 album 'December's Children.'
- Influenced a generation of British Invasion bands who regularly performed his material.
Did You Know?
He was briefly a pimp before his music career took off, a fact he later discussed openly.
He was discovered by Lloyd Price and replaced Little Richard in Price's band for a tour.
In the 1970s, he recorded a funk album, 'That Larry Williams,' which included a song produced by Stevie Wonder.
John Lennon was a particular admirer and performed 'Dizzy, Miss Lizzy' live with the Beatles until their final tour.
“You got to have that good, good thing.”
