Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials

Born on Chicago's West Side on April 4, 1955, Ed Williams grew up surrounded by the blues. He first played guitar, then drums and bass, when he was 12. Ed, along with his brother Pookie, received lessons and support from their famous blues-playing uncle, J.B Hutto. "J.B. taught me everything I know," says Ed. "I wouldn't be where I am today without him." Ed and Pookie spent their teen years making music together, and in 1975 formed the first incarnation of the Blues Imperials. They played their first gig at a West Side club called Big Duke's Blue Flame, splitting the $6 take four ways. Over the next few years, the group played every club on the West Side, but they still needed day jobs to pay the bills. Ed worked ten hours a day at the Red Carpet Car Wash. Pookie drove a school bus. Night after night they played their roaring brand of blues in tiny clubs, and eventually the word reached Alligator president Bruce Iglauer.

Presently, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials are wild and getting wilder, blazing a path from the Red Carpet Car Wash to the hearts and souls of blues fans all over the world. "My music is smoking more than ever," says Ed. "We like to show off and we like to get wild.

To check out Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials discography, click here.