His band Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials already released a few records at that point, “Roughhousin'” (1986) and “Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits” (1989). And if it hadn’t been for his boss telling him that he’d always have a job scrubbing fenders — a scene captured in the track “Car Wash Blues” — Lil’ Ed may have never left his hometown.
He told Williams that if he didn’t like it out there, he could come back. Four decades later, with 11 albums and a 2024 Blues Hall of Fame induction to boot, it’s safe to say that Lil’ Ed never went back to the car wash.
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials will perform March 28 at the Hidden Gem Music Club in Centerville. The Doug Hart Band, a staple of the Southwest Ohio blues scene, is also set to perform as a part of the Dayton Winter Blues Fest.
Williams’ uncle — the late American blues musician, J. B. Hutto — taught him how to feel the blues, not just play it. He doesn’t fight the music; he allows it to take him to a visceral place.
Once known for his signature backbends, tip-toeing around, jumping off stages and the occasional back flip, Williams, 69, says all of his antics now depend on how high the stages are — because he’s neither crazy nor stupid.
But out of all his signature moves, it’s his ubiquitous facial expression that may be his most unique, one that perhaps contrasts the entire aura of the blues genre: the smile.
“I watched my uncle play and he was always smiling,” Williams said. “No matter what kind of doom and gloom we were in, he’d come in and make everybody happy. It showed me something: if you smile, there’s nothing to be sad about because you’re thinking of the good things that could be happening to you. It’s so amazing that a smile can change people’s thoughts.”
The blues — or more specifically for Williams, the Chicago blues — connects deep emotions to sound, allowing its maker to help process things that are difficult to put into words.
“Music soothes the savage beast,” Williams said. “We come to conclusions in our life just by listening to music. Disco made you dance. Soul made you really think about your loved one. Blues is the reality. It’s all about feeling. It’s all about touching the heart, man.”
Nearly forty years into the band’s history, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials is getting ready to go back into the studio. And Lil’ Ed is still taking notes from his uncle, always smiling.
When asked how the blues has evolved since he started in the early ’80s, Williams said:
“There are a lot of newcomers into the blues now, and that’s good. That means it’s still alive. The youngsters don’t have the blues because they’re into a different world. But they’re going to get the blues sooner or later.”
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
How to go
What: Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials / The Doug Hart Band
When: 8 p.m., March 28
Where: Hidden Gem Music Club, 507 Miamisburg Centerville Rd., Dayton
Cost: $20 adv., $25 door
Tickets: hiddengemdayton.com
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