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FRIDAY, JUNE 17TH -ERNIE WILLIAMS – AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH A BLUES ICON

Jun ’11
17
12:00 am

Click image to open!   Ernie played his first guitar in the 30′s; he was 13 and living in a shack on a Virginia Plantation. He spent his days picking tobacco and his nights bending the blues on a beat up six-string. By the 40′s, he earned the right to play with the local bluesmen at the Saturday night Fish Fries in Halifax County, Virginia. At the age of 19, he bought a one-way ticket to Harlem, NY with the $9.00 it took him a year to save – he was moving north to go after his dream. In the 50′s, he played as many as 7 nights a week. From amateur nights at the famed Apollo Theater to juke joints in the dark corners of the city, he was making his mark as a young showman. In the 60′s, life demands brought him north to Albany, NY. He worked odd jobs day and night to support his family. His dream was put on hold. In the 70′s when the blues scene was waning, he formed a new band, playing gigs in local bars and hosting blues jams whenever he could slip away from his minimum wage jobs. Over the next two decades, he maintained his post as a fixture of Albany’s blues community, a scene hidden away in the dingy rooms of the city’s toughest neighborhoods. In 1992, he formed yet another band and, 53 years after he played his first note, Ernie Williams was about to realize his dream. Although the band members have changed through the years, Ernie has remained one of the most beloved performers in the region. From the House of Blues in Boston to Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago; from festivals to opening slots for major recording acts, Ernie has been a force to be reckoned with. Ernie and his band represented the East Coast in KLON’s National Blues Talent Search and walked away with a prize for first runner up; on two occasions they received a Critic’s Choice column in the “Chicago Reader”. To date, Ernie has released six CD’s. In addition to his musical performances, Ernie’s charisma has landed him both magazine and TV spots. He was selected by Canon for their ad campaign for their new line of copiers called “Canon Blues”. He also appeared on a TV commercial for “Grapes and Grains”, a Capital District upscale wine establishment. At 80+ years young, Ernie continues to say “this is just the beginning”. Knowing his spirit and motivation, that’s entirely possible!