R&B Singer Andre Williams Dies at 82
Article via Billboard
R&B singer/producer Andre “Mr. Rhythm” Williams, died in Chicago on Sunday (March 17) at age 82, according to a statement from his label, Pravda Records. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary artist Andre Williams,” read a FB statement from the Chicago-based label. “He died this after in Chicago at the age of 82. He touched our lives and the lives of countless others. We love you Dre.”
William’s manager, Kenn Goodman, tells Billboard that the singer died on Sunday afternoon while in hospice care in Chicago surrounded by family. “He was diagnosed two weeks ago with colon cancer that spread to his lungs and brain,” Goodman says. “After that his body started shutting down pretty quickly,” he adds, noting that Williams had battled a number of other health issues recently, including strokes and seizures. “But was committed to trying to sing and record again.”
Born in Bessemer, Alabama, on Nov. 1, 1936, Zephire “Andre” Williams launched his career as a teenager after moving to Detroit in the early 1950s, where he quickly became a key member of the city’s then blossoming R&B scene, making his name after winning the top prize at the Warfield Theatre’s amateur night show eight weeks in a row. Known for his fiery, often profane style, Williams signed to Fortune Records and took over the lead vocal slot in the vocal group The Five Dollars.
Renamed Andre Williams and the Don Juans, the group released “Goin’ Down to Tijuana” in 1955, with Williams releasing his signature hit, “Bacon Fat,” the next year, hitting No. 9 on the Billboard R&B chart. His sing-talking style on the track presaged hip-hop, earning him the nickname “godfather of rap.” He wrote and produced hits for other acts during his early years in the business, including the Five Dutones’ “Shake a Tail Feather,” as well as cranking out other beloved Fortune Records singles including “Jail Bait” and “The Greasy Chicken.”
An early 1960s four-year gig as artist/producer/writer for Motown Records failed to produce any recordings of note, though he did score a co-write on Stevie Wonder’s first song, 1964’s “Thank You For Loving Me,” and worked with The Temptations, while continuing to write and produce for other acts at the time, including Alvin Cash & The Crawlers (“Twine Time”) and The Contours. He followed in 1965 with a run at Chicago’s Chess Records, during which he released some of his other most beloved tracks such as “The Stroke,” “Humpin’ Bumpin’ & Thumpin'” and “Cadillac Jack.”