The Williams Brothers

Southern gospel group the Williams Brothers, alternately known as the Little Williams Brothers and the Sensational Williams Brothers, formed in 1960 in the siblings' hometown of Smithdale, Mississippi. Inspired by fellow gospel groups like the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Williams Brothers were veteran performers by the time they released their first album, 1974's What's Wrong with People Today, for ABC Songbird. During the remainder of the '70s and throughout the '80s, the group released albums for labels like Savoy, Myrrh, and Malaco. Most of the sets either topped or came close to topping Billboard's gospel albums chart including 1985's Blessed, which hit number one. In 1992, the group founded the Blackberry label, and their recording rate rapidly accelerated; from the early '90s through the mid-2010s, they released over two-dozen albums and maintained their presence on the gospel charts with releases like 1994's chart-topping, Grammy Award-nominated In This Place, 2003's Grammy Award-nominated Still Here, and 2009's Grammy Award-nominated The Journey Continues. Their work has also been rewarded with almost 20 Stellar Awards and numerous nominations for Dove awards. Together and individually, they've collaborated with the likes of the Winans, Stevie Wonder, Rance Allen, and John P. Kee. In 2017, they returned with the studio album Timeless, featuring the single "What God Does." ~ Andy Kellman