Andre Williams is a name you might not be familiar with, but he’s a real living legend. He saw pretty much everything, did almost anything and – most importantly – he was a key figure, a pillar, in the success of seminal labels like Motown and Chess Records.
Born in Alabama, in 1936, he’s still around, travelling, performing in clubs and venues, writing music and releasing records (much appreciated by the indie, alternative, blues-punk community).
Andre had a troubled and adventurous life: he was raised by an absent father and his ever changing ladies, until at the age of 14 he enlisted in the Navy with fake documents, got caught and discharged and – finally – moved to Detroit. In the Motor city he figured out he needed “a hustle” to survive and to get by… singing and entertaining became his trick.
Until the late Sixties/early seventies he wrote, recorded, sang and worked with the greatest musicians (Stevie Wonder, Funkadelic, Parliament, Ike & Tina Turner…) and for the coolest labels; but then the dark side of his persona prevailed and he fell deep into addiction. He spent all the eighties in deep poverty, he got to the point he spent several months begging on a bridge to raise a few dollars to buy food.
But this is a story with as happy end… so in the Nineties a bunch of cool underground musicians found him and brought him in a recording studio again, bringing back to life his career. Now he’s happy, clean and performing… and he’s getting credit for the masterpieces he created.
His style is a mix of talking blues, rhythm and blues and primitive rock’n'roll: he tells stories about food, women, sex and dangerous life. And he sounds totally convincing, even at 75.
And this might be Mr Williams’ secret: “I don’t like slow days. That’s my forte. Never, never retire! When I retire. They’ll be rolling me out. What I’m gonna retire for? I was born retired. Welcome to the club. You know, I have to have my own space. The more the merrier. I got a few kids that like the old man. That keeps me alive. It never grows old. Depends on your taste. But it never grows old for me. You can always add a little salt to the pepper“.
