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Singer Andre Williams, the 'Godfather of Rap', Dead at 82

R&B singer-producer Andre Williams, whose indelible musical journey included collaborative efforts with Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Ray Charles, has died at the age of 82. Suggested Reading The Real Tea Behind Tina Knowles, Mathew Divorce Suge Knight Claims Tupac’s Mother Made This Shocking Move in His Final Moments Spoilers: Black TikTok Has Theories on…

R&B singer-producer Andre Williams, whose indelible musical journey included collaborative efforts with Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Ray Charles, has died at the age of 82.

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Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

On Wednesday, Williamsโ€™ record label, Pravda Records, announced his passing on Facebook, paying tribute to their fallen star.

โ€œIt is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary artist Andre Williams,โ€ they wrote. โ€œHe died this afternoon in Chicago at the age of 82. He touched our lives and the lives of countless others. We love you Dre.โ€

Billboard was able to confirm with Williamsโ€™ manager, Kenn Goodman, that the beloved musician, billed โ€œMr. Rhythmโ€ during his tenure on Fortune Records, passed on Sunday, March 17 in Chicago, Illinois.

Williams was battling a number of health-related maladies, including seizures and strokes, when he was diagnosed with colon cancer two weeks ago. According to Goodman, the disease spread to Williamsโ€™ lungs and brain before โ€œhis body started shutting down pretty quickly.โ€ But ever the fighter, Williams was wholly committed to โ€œtrying to sing and record again.โ€

Born November 1, 1936 in Bessemer, Ala., Zephire โ€œAndreโ€ Williams relocated to Detroit as a teenager and joined Fortune Records, where he churned out hits like โ€œJail Baitโ€ and โ€œBacon Fatโ€ as the frontman of the 5 Dollars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0kr0IFsM6E

On โ€œBacon Fatโ€ specifically, he employed a silky spoken-sung technique that would earn him the nickname โ€œThe Godfather of Rap.โ€

Rolling Stone notes that he eventually became affiliated with the burgeoning juggernaut Motown Records in the 1960'sโ€”co-writing โ€œThank You (For Loving Me All the Way)โ€ for a 13-year-old Stevie Wonder and collaborating with the Contours and the Otis Williams-helmed Temptations.

Most famously, however, Williams co-wrote โ€œShake a Tail Feather,โ€ which is immortalized forever by Ray Charlesโ€™ performance of the song in the legendary 1980 comedy The Blues Brothers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdbrIrFxas0

His final album, 1996's Donโ€™t Ever Give Up, was preceded by collaborations with luminaries such as Parliament, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mary Wells, and Ike & Tina Turner.

Fans and collaborators alike took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the man who gave us โ€œThe Greasy Chicken.โ€

https://twitter.com/MrRhythmAndreW/status/1107625800763928576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/pete_wells/status/1108175487325609984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/LowCutConnie/status/1107552524716912640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

โ€œThere wasnโ€™t anything he wouldnโ€™t tackle and be 100 percent into,โ€ Goodman told the Montgomery Advisor. โ€œPeople loved him [...] He was a survivor, he was a hustler. He knew how to get onstage every night, no matter what condition he was in every day.โ€

To celebrate his legacy, Goodman said Williams will be subject of a documentary that will explore his final years. Additionally, a tribute concert is planned for next month in Chicago.

โ€œHe was magic,โ€ Goodman adds.

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