Lil' Ed

Lil' Ed Williams (born April 18, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois), is an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Williams and his half-brother James "Pookie" Young, received childhood encouragement and tutelage from their uncle, J. B. Hutto, and by 1975 the half-siblings had formed the first version of the Blues Imperials.

A decade later, Alligator Records offered them the chance to record for a forthcoming compilation album. In that event, they cut a full album's worth of material that was released as Roughhousin' (1986). They then appeared at music festivals and toured widely. Their second album release was entitled, Chicken, Gravy & Biscuits (1989), and their third LP, What You See is What You Get was issued in 1992. At this point the group disbanded, while Williams issued two solo albums; Keep On Walking, followed by Who's Been Talking (1998), the latter with Willie Kent.

In 1999 the release of Get Wild marked the group's reunion and has been followed in subsequent years with Heads Up(2002), Rattleshake (2006), and Full Tilt (2008).

In June 2008, Williams and the Blues Imperials appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival. The same year Williams guested on Magic Slim's album, Midnight Blues. In 2013, Lil' Ed Williams and the Blues Imperials were nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Band' category.

(Lil' Ed at 2nd Annual Poconos Blues Festival 1993)