Singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards, Joe Williams (1918-1999) was an elegant and sophisticated baritone known for his clear pronunciation and jazz stylings. He became famous as the lead vocalist with the Count Basie Orchestra from 1954 to 1961, recording such popular hits as "Every Day (I Have the Blues)" and "All Right, O.K., You Win."

Joe Williams was born Joseph Goreed in Cordele, Georgia, a small town about 50 miles south of Macon, on December 12, 1918. His grandmother took him to Chicago at the age of three. His mother gone ahead had found work as a cook. He was exposed to music early; both his mother and aunt played piano, which he learned to play a little, and he sang in church. On the radio he would listen to jazz and opera. Jazz singer Ethel Waters was an early favorite.

When he was 14, Joe began...