Andre Williams (Zephire Andre Williams, Bessemer, Alabama, November 1, 1936… Read Full Bio ↴Andre Williams (Zephire Andre Williams, Bessemer, Alabama, November 1, 1936 - March 17, 2019) was an American rhythm & blues singer and songwriter who started his career in the 1950s at Fortune Records in Detroit. Andre "Mr. Rhythm" Williams most famous songs include the hits "Jail Bait," "Greasy Chicken," "Bacon Fat" and "Cadillac Jack". He is also the co-author of the R&B hit "Shake a Tail Feather".

Born in Bessemer, Alabama, United States, Williams lived in a housing project with his mother until she died when he was six years of age. A sly and smart young boy, his "aunties" raised him until he was around 16. He then set out on his own and moved to Detroit, Michigan. There, he became friends with Jack and Devora Brown, owners of Fortune Records which was located at the back of a barber shop. Williams would become label mates with Nolan Strong and Nathaniel Mayer.

He then became lead singer for The 5 Dollars in 1955, which already had a contract with Fortune Records. Though most of the songs were billed as 'Andre Williams and the Don Juans' (on Epic in 1956 billed as 'Andre Mr Rhythm Williams and his New Group'), "Bacon Fat" and "Jail Bait" were solo efforts. "Bacon Fat" hit #9 on the US Billboard R&B chart in 1957. "Bacon Fat" (written by Williams) was such a success that Fortune Records sold the song to Epic Records, a much larger distributor (released as Epic 5-9196 "Bacon Fat/Just because of a Kiss"). In 1960 Fortune released an album of all of his singles with the Don Juans, which was titled Jail Bait (re-released in 1986). In 1960, he appeared on Motown's Miracle Record label releasing "Rosa Lee".

In the early 1960s, Williams co-wrote Stevie Wonder's first song, "Thank You for Loving Me." Williams' "Shake a Tail Feather" was also a hit in 1963 for the Five Du-Tones and then for Ike & Tina Turner plus James and Bobby Purify. Alvin Cash & the Crawlers also made a hit out of the Williams song "Twine Time". As well as these hits, Williams also supervised the making of two albums by The Contours. Additionally, in the 1960s, Williams was the manager and roadie for Edwin Starr.

In 1966, Williams released two records on the Avin Records label, then two records more on Detroit's Wingate label: "Loose Juice" and "Do It". On the Ric-Tic label in 1967, he released "You Got It and I Want It". In 1968, Williams was signed to Chess Records on Checker, Chicago's major blues label. They released many hits for Williams — "Humpin' Bumpin' and Thumpin'" and "Cadillac Jack" in particular. "Cadillac Jack" reached #46 on the Billboard R&B chart, his second and final chart hit. Then, he began to work with many unknown black labels and released songs such as "Sweet Little Pussy Cat" and "Rib Tips, Pts. 1 & 2." In 1968, Williams collaborated with the Natural Bridge Bunch to release "Pig Snoots," a novelty song about a man named Ricky who would "come all way cross town to get me some snoots". In the 1970s, Williams wrote some songs for Parliament and Funkadelic. Williams also began to produce for Ike Turner.

Throughout the 1980s, Williams was in poverty because of his drug addictions. He lived in Chicago, Illinois; at one point, he was homeless.

In 1996, he released Mr. Rhythm, which featured new renditions of his old tunes from the "Jail Bait" era. These included "The Greasy Chicken," "Mean Jean," and "Pass the Biscuits Please." He changed his style with 1998's Silky. In 1999, he began his relationship with Bloodshot Records by recording a country album with The Sadies, entitled Red Dirt. In 2000, Williams released The Black Godfather, with two songs backed by The Dirtbombs. In 2001 he discussed his recent conversion to Judaism and circumcision. In 2002 and 2003 he toured with the Dutch sleaze rock band, Green Hornet.

A return to soul-style music came with Aphrodisiac in 2006. "The result is a more laid-back and funky groove that's soulful but potent at the same time, fusing '70s blaxploitation sounds, Jimmy Smith-style jazz figures, and Booker T.-influenced R&B workouts into one solid package" is the way Mark Deming described the album.

Williams toured Europe in 2001 (with Green Hornet as backing band), 2005 and 2006 (with the Marshall Brothers). From August to November 2006, he had a short European tour, ending in Switzerland. In early 2008 he undertook a European tour with The Flash Express.

In 2007, Williams finished recording an album with the New Orleans-based band, Morning 40 Federation. The album, titled Can You Deal With It, was released by Bloodshot Records in 2008 and is credited to Andre Williams & the New Orleans Hellhounds (the pseudonymous Morning 40 Federation). The 2007 documentary Agile Mobile Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams told of Williams' early career at Fortune Records, his hard life on the streets of Chicago in the 1980s, drug and alcohol abuse, his return to the stage and recording studio in 1995, and his current life and musical career.

In 2010, Williams contributed a cover version of "The Way You Dog Me Around" for the compilation album, Daddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The Diablos. The album was a tribute to the late Nolan Strong.

In the summer of 2010, Andre (Mr. Rhythm) Williams work on an EP with up-and-coming producer out of Chicago, Kerry (Kerby) Moncreace, founder of KRAW PRODUCTIONS https://klmoncreace.wixsite.com/website. Andre and his longtime best friend, Ricardo (Mississippi Rick) Williams, co-wrote with Kerry Moncreace, 5 Rap songs including the urban sensation that tells the story of a Hustler who's woman turns him into the federal government for drug trafficking, 'GANGBANGING'. https://soundcloud.com/kraw-productions

Williams has also been known to go by the alias "Rudibaker" or "Rutabaga", with which he puts on a different personality and speaks in a gravely voice.

In 2012, Andre Williams was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

Andre passed away march 17th, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Andre Williams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby

I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby

People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?

Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah

I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Andre Williams’s song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" are about a man who discovers through the rumor mill that his girlfriend is cheating on him with someone she knew before they started dating. He expresses his disbelief, hurt, and anger, feeling that she should have told him directly instead of him hearing it through the grapevine. The chorus, "Not much longer would you be mine," indicates that he knows their relationship is coming to an end. The lyrics reveal the man's vulnerability and the depth of his love for the woman, as evidenced by lines like "losing you would end my life you see, 'cause you mean that much to me." The song's lyrics portray the universal experience of betrayal and heartbreak, which remains relatable to many people decades after its release.

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. However, the song became a massive hit through Marvin Gaye's cover of it, which was released in 1968, a year before Andre Williams's version. Williams recorded a slightly altered version of the song in 1969, which features spoken word passages over a more funk-oriented sound. The song became a hit again when it was featured in the soundtrack of the 1988 film "The Big Chill."

Line by Line Meaning

I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You're probably curious about how I found out

'Bout your plans to make me blue
About your intentions to make me sad

With some other guy you knew before
You were with someone else who you knew before

Between the two of us guys
Out of the two of us, guys

You know I loved you more
You know I loved you more than the other guy

It took me by surprise I must say
It surprised me a lot, I must admit

When I found out yesterday
When I learned about it yesterday

Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I heard the news through rumors/grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine
You wouldn't be mine for much longer

Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh, I learned about it through rumors/grapevine

Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Oh, I'm almost going crazy