The Big DooWopper: Biography

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• Cornell Williams

• Stevie Wonder
• B.B. King
• Ray Charles

Birth Name:

Cornell Williams

Born:

Nov 13, 1953 in Grenada, MS

Genres:

Blues Music, Blues Music, Electric Blues Music, Modern Electric Blues Music

Decades Active:

1980's|1990's|2000's

Cornell Williams, aka The Big Doowopper, was born on November 13, 1953, in Grenada, MS. Born partially blind, he completely lost his sight at the age of 17 due to cataracts. When he was six years old he started taking piano lessons before moving to Chicago with his parents. Chicago exposed him to the thriving blues scene and earned him his nickname Doowopper, singing with his mother, father, and some friends in a street corner doo wop group, while his mother was a backup singer who toured with B.B. King, a big influence musically and personally to Doowopper. While growing up, Doowopper was enrolled in Illinois School for the visually handicapped, and he continued to build his singing and keyboard ability. After high school graduation in the early '70s, he played live music sporadically throughout the decade. By the early '80s, he was shopping around crude demos with little response, while continuously performing on the sidewalks and train stations of Chicago, occasionally gaining the odd paying club gig. When his demo finally reached the right hands in 1999, he was given studio time to cut his impressive version of Prince's "Purple Rain," overdubbing his gospelized keyboards and five part doo wop harmony This break finally allowed the release of his first full length recording All in the Joy on the Chicago based Delmark label in 2000.

- Al Campbell, All Music Guide