Chicago Bluesman Jody Williams Dies At 83

Courtesy of Alligator Records – Jody Williams

Jody Williams, the Chicago blues musician who played with Bo Diddley and Howlin’ Wolf, died of cancer in Munster, Ind., Dec. 1 at the age of 83.

Williams was born in Mobile, Ala., in 1935 and moved to Chicago at the age of 5. He started working with Bo Diddley in 1951 and started performing as a soloist the following year. He worked as house guitarist for Chess Records and went on to perform with B.B. King.

Williams continued to record and perform into the 200s, and was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame in 2015.

The last reports Pollstar received from Williams were from Blues At The Crossroads in 2013, which were held in Englewood, N.J.; Alexandria, Va.; Omaha, Neb.; Omaha, Neb.; Minneapolis; and Indianapolis.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne, his daughters Marilyn and Sissy, sons  Anthony and Jason, and multiple grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

A funeral is being held in Chicago on Sunday, Dec. 9.