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Tuesday, 01 September 2009 |
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By KATIE YANTIS
Staff Writer
A Chicago man who learned how to play blues music at the young age of 12 will be one of the stars who will take the stage this weekend for the Riverside Bluesfest.
Lil’ Ed Williams of Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials began learning music from his uncle in Chicago and formed his own band at 18.
“Growing up on the west side of Chicago, there was music everywhere,” Williams said. “At that time it was a Motown town. There was a lot of fairly good musicians.”
Williams said when he formed the band, he had a goal of recording only one record.
“I did want to make at least one record, me and my brother, we were trying to just get a 45 out at that time,” Williams said. “We were going to save up enough money to record one. We got close to it, then Alligator Records came up and offered us an opportunity to play a couple of songs on a compilation record. That is what started Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials.”
Williams has been performing for 32 years and his band members have been with him for 23 years.
Williams said he looks forward to playing in St. Marys this weekend and hopes to play off the energy of the crowd.
“It’s all about the fans, I try to reach the fans,” Williams said. “They tell me what they want me to play, sometimes slow time blues.”
As a member of the band, Williams also adds flair to his shows. According to his biography, he does flying leaps, back bends, toe walking and slides across the stage — all in the name of fun.
“It keeps people happy, everyone is there to have a good time,” Williams said. “Blues brings on fair feelings and I am there to raise that feeling to a happy feeling to show my fans that even though it may seem bad right now, the grass is greener on the other side. If they see me moving around having fun, they get with that and before you know it, we are all having fun together.”
Williams also said he simply enjoys performing blues and working with his band members.
“I like it because my band feels what I feel, we compliment each other on stage with our music — we talk to each other with our music,” Williams said. “This comes from my heart, this is not something I planned, I don’t have a song list. I don’t plan my songs, I just do it from feeling and from heart.”
He said interacting with the audience also is one enjoyable aspect of performing.
“I really like the club setting because I am so close to people, I can interact with them,” Williams said. “Festivals are great, too, because there are so many people. I can’t interact with them all but I can interact with some of them.”
Growing up surrounded by music, Williams said his family was one that always listened to blues.
“My family loves the blues, we had all blues records,” Williams said. “Muddy Waters, BB King, Elmore James, all those guys — I got into all that music when my uncle started to teach me.”
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials have traveled all over the United States and abroad to perform, including Norway, Paris, London and Australia. They will take the stage at Bluesfest at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Williams invited all local residents to attend the event and have a good time.
“I just like to say to the fans and the people if they get wild with me, we will get wild together and we will have a good time,” he said. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 07 October 2009 )
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