Sharrie Williams Blues Band
At a Glance...
- Location: 214 East Mansion Street
- Time: 8 PM
- Date: February 20, 2010
- Price: $18 Adult and $9 Students
- Contact: Franke Center for the Arts
Mrs. Sharrie Williams Is the Voice! A galactic vocal force to be reckoned with, a ragging flame of fire that has been sprayed with gasoline, she has a message burning within her soul. Sharrie has a powerful voice, with a range that can reach and rattle the castle tower one minute, while soothing the soul of a crying child the next, she possess an unaffected nature, which gives her grace and a sensibility that pays homage to the great female artist of rock and blues without ever being imitative, in short, Sharrie Williams is the real deal, a true original. She brings you in, by singing her insides out, hearing her is a pure delight, but seeing her perform will make you a believer. Williams has a warm and radiant stage presence, that takes hold of you and capture your imagination and captivate your senses, the sound of her voice is compelling, it promises redemption. With every note She makes you cry, laugh and dance, she can even wake up the dead, I guess one would call her the voice of an emotional cocktail.
Sharrie Williams knows how to sing the Blues… Because she’s lived the Blues…Born and raised in the projects of Saginaw, Michigan, Sharrie grew up surrounded by music and singing her entire childhood, being raised in a musical family. “My Aunt and Grandma were jazz singers, my father was a gospel/jazz singer in the 1950’s and 1960’s, my brother is a gospel singer and my mother was a gospel singer. Our house was like a Juke Joint…..Singing, drinking, dancing and the blues playing, with chicken and fish fryin.”
She teamed up with The WiseGuys in 1997, and began appearing regularly at Chicago’s renowned Blues Clubs such as Kingston Mines and Buddy Guy’s Legends. By 1998 Sharrie Williams and The Wiseguys were on their way to Europe. They started with performances in Germany, and by 2004 they had toured Holland, France, Italy the Netherlands, Spain, Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and Great Britain.
In April 2004 Sharrie released “Hard Drivin’ Woman” on the German label Crosscut Records, to international acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Word spread back to the US about her captivating performances and rock solid recording. She performed at US festivals including the Chicago Blues Festival and the Pocono Blues Festival soon thereafter. Her CD sales at the Pocono Blues Festival were at the top of sales records for this storied event, a major contributor in introducing her to the American blues market.
Over her years Sharrie has had the opportunity to collaborate with national recording artists such as Larry McCray and Ron Prince. Her influences are Koko Taylor, Etta James, Pattie Labelle, Aretha Franklin and the legendary Billie Holiday - they have all helped form her unique style. She is poised for the next level. “I love what I do! I can play for five people and feel like I played for 60,000.”
Sharrie’s unique style of “Rockin’ Gospel Blues” is surrounded by strong and powerful vocals and arrangements, with songs that grab your soul, like “Hard Drivin’ Woman,” “Travellin’” and “Blues Lover”. Sharrie touches souls with her talent and passion for her music, combined with her smoky, sexy and imitable style she always leaves her audience calling for one more song. She emerges with grace as a humble and rock solid professional, a talented songstress that stands on her own. “Having lived the blues, I sing to inspire people, Not to let the blues get the best of you”.
In January 2007, Sharrie signed a recording contract with the Canadian based Blues label Electro-Fi Records. Andrew Galloway President & Founder, reports “Sharrie Williams is extremely talented and at the forefront of a new generation of Women Blues Artists. We are delighted to welcome her to the Electro-Fi label”. The record will be released Worldwide in June 2007, Sharrie and the Band will be touring extensively throughout the USA and Europe in support of this release.