The group was organized in 1960 by Leon "Pop" Williams, who is the founder and father of the Williams Brothers. They were then known as the Little Williams Brothers, but as the group grew in talent, experience, and performance, the name changed to the Sensational Williams Brothers. Today the group is simply called the Williams Brothers. All of the group members were born and reared in Mississippi in a little community called Smithdale, about 100 miles south of Jackson, MS, where a road has been named in their honor. They have been writing and arranging most of their music since 1970 and producing since 1979.

The group recorded its first album in 1973 on the Songbird label, which included the instant hit, "Jesus Will Fix It." Since then they have recorded 16 albums listed as Top Ten in Billboard and Cashbox magazines, out of which came three #1 records and a Grammy nomination. Their repertoire of hits includes songs such as "Jesus Will Never Say No," "I Won't Let Go My Faith," "He'll Understand," "Sweep around Your Own Front Door," and "A Ship Like Mine," to name a few. They also performed on the Winans' Grammy-winning song, "Ain't No Need to Worry," featuring Anita Baker. In April 1991 the group formed their own record label, Blackberry Records, which is the first Black-owned and-operated label in the state of Mississippi that has major distribution. Their first release on the label, This Is Your Night, reached #4 on the Billboard gospel chart. — Billy C. Wirtz

---

Return to The Gospel Quartets