Creator

Fieldworker/Collector

Subject

Geographic Term

Music Tracks

Description

Two audio cassettes. The interviewers ask Williams about his early musical influences, his background, his experiences working in phosphate mines and logging camps as a youth; and Williams talks of how workers played music and played cards at night at turpentine camps. On the second tape, he continues the interview, and plays a few songs. See also reels T78-328, T78-329, T81-19 and T83-65 through T83-69, in S 1576, for additional interviews and music performances by Williams and Ella Mae Wilson, also recorded by Devane and Bulger.

Two audio cassettes. Bulger and DeVane ask Williams about his early musical influences, his background, his experiences working in phosphate mines, farming, and logging camps as a youth. It is raining heavily outside and Williams is difficult to hear. Williams's wife, Lillie Bell, talks about their family background as well. Williams also discusses how workers played music and gambled at night in the turpentine camps. He describes his bottleneck slide and plays nine songs. He has tuning issues during "Polk County Blues." Williams and his wife discuss playing the fiddle the dancing that accompanied Williams's music, after which he plays another version of "Polk County Blues." He talks about learning songs from the radio.
On C77-34, his wife discusses singing at square dances while Williams plays "Polk County Blues." He then describes family members that played music before performing "Old Forty." He discusses his uncles that played music as well.