Lil' Ed Williams

Lil' Ed Williams (born April 8, 1955, Chicago, Illinois) is an American blues slide guitarist, singer and songwriter. With his backing band, the Blues Imperials, he has built up a loyal following. Guitar Player called the band "a snarling boogie-blues machine."

A decade later, Alligator Records offered them the chance to record a track, "Young Thing", for a compilation album, New Bluebloods (1987). Producer and label owner Bruce Iglauer encouraged them to record additional material, and they cut a full album's worth of material at that session, released as Roughhousin (1986). They then appeared at music festivals and toured widely. Their second album, Chicken, Gravy & Biscuits, was released in 1989, and their third, What You See Is What You Get, in 1992. At this point the group disbanded. Williams issued two solo albums, Keep On Walking, on which he was joined by Dave Weld, a former member of the Blues Imperials, and Who's Been Talking (1998), pairing Williams with Willie Kent.

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials have appeared multiple times at the Chicago Blues Festival and festivals and clubs around the world. In June 2008, Williams played on three tracks on Magic Slim & the Teardrops's album Midnight Blues. In June 2009, Williams was a guest on the radio quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio.

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials have been nominated for eight Blues Music Awards as Band of the Year and have won that award twice.

Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials are 2024 inductees of the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame.

Discography

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials Roughhousin''' (1986), AlligatorChicken, Gravy and Biscuits (1989), AlligatorWhat You See Is What You Get (1992), AlligatorGet Wild! (1999), AlligatorHeads Up! (2002), AlligatorRattleshake (2006), AlligatorFull Tilt (2008), Alligator Jump Start (2012), AlligatorThe Big Sound Of.... (2016), Alligator Slideways (2026), Alligator

SoloKeep On Walkin (1996), Earwig MusicWho's Been Talking'' (1998), Earwig Music