Birth name Robert Williams, Jr. Instruments Double bass | Occupation(s) Jazz bassist, vocalist Years active 1935–1957 | |
Also known as Bob Williams
Billy Williams Born February 1, 1916
Augusta, Georgia ( 1916-02-01 ) Died June 22, 1984(1984-06-22) (aged 68)
Manhattan, New York | ||
Chocolate Williams (aka Billy, aka Bob, né Robert Williams, Jr.; February 1, 1916 Augusta, Georgia – June 22, 1984, Manhattan, New York) was an American jazz bassist and vocalist based in New York City. He was a prolific performer of jazz, and, notably, performed and recorded with Art Tatum in 1941 and Herbie Nichols in 1952.
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Selected career highlights
Williams performed with the Cotton Club Tramp Band, Rex Stewart Combo, Herbie Nichols, Art Tatum, his own trio, the Three Chocolates, and his own jazz combo, Chocolate Williams and His Chocolateers. Williams was the founding leader of the The Three Chocolates. The other two original members were guitarist Jerome Darr (de), who went on to perform with Jonah Jones, and pianist Bill Spotswood. Throughout the 1940s and mid-fifties, The Three Chocolates played at clubs along the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest and were favorites in many swank Harlem after-hour spots. In late 1943, The Three Chocolates performed at the Onyx Club on 52nd Street for seven months, the Famous Door for five months, and, before that, Kelly's Stables. Bassist Earl May (de) (1926–2008), who substituted for Williams at Minton's, succeeded him when he stopped playing there.
After his semi-retirement in 1955, Chocolate Williams worked as a messenger for CBS and retired in 1974.
He was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1916, and lived there until at least 1930. Williams lived at 60 West 142nd Street in the Sugar Hill area of Harlem when he died in 1984.
Selected extant discography
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Selected lyrics
(twelve-bar blues) (audio on YouTube)Collaborators
Family
Among his survivors are: his son, Tony Davis; a sister, Alberta Bloomer, a niece, Jennifer Riley; a nephew and 15 grandnieces and nephews.
"Three Chocolates" disambiguation
The Three Chocolates might wrongly associated with: