LIL’ ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS

Chicago blues
Chicago, Illinois

With his blistering slide guitar riffs, raw-boned Chicago shuffles, and heartfelt slow blues, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials have been aptly described as “the world’s #1 house-rocking blues band.” Not since the heyday of Hound Dog Taylor has a Chicago blues group served up such sizzling, rollicking sound. Lil’ Ed appears with his high-octane band of more than 20 years, the Blues Imperials, which features guitarist Mike Garrett, bassist James “Pookie” Young, and drummer Kelly Littleton, who each provide impeccable backup for Williams’s charismatic music.

Chicago blues is a quintessential American musical style pioneered by Southern Black musicians who moved north during the Great Migration and transformed Delta blues to reflect their new urban environment, and Chicago blues runs deep in Lil’ Ed’s family. His uncle and musical mentor was the great Chicago slide master, J.B. Hutto, who, with his band the Hawks, helped define the city’s sound in the 1950s.

Ed Williams was born in Chicago on April 4, 1955, surrounded by the blues. By age 12 he was playing guitar, bass, and drums, and soaking up everything that his uncle could show him. In 1975 he formed a band with his half-brother, Pookie Young, and began playing clubs in the neighborhood. Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials quickly went from playing neighborhood joints to performing at clubs, concert halls, and festivals all over the country. Tours of Europe, Canada, and Japan followed, as well as high profile shows with blues greats Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, and Katie Webster.

The road and recording took their toll, and Williams broke up the group and spent some working on other projects. By 1998, he reformed the Blues Imperials and released a new album. They followed that album with Heads Up! in 2002, signaling that Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials were back and better than ever. The 2006 release of Rattleshake caught the attention of late-night TV host Conan O’Brien, who invited Lil’ Ed to appear on his show in New York. National television exposure brought Ed a host of new admirers and a slew of gigs. Since then, he’s had multiple appearances at the Chicago Blues Festival, and eight nominations (with two wins) for “Band of the Year” at the Blues Music Awards. He was also nominated for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2019 and finally in 2024, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials were inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame, a well-deserved honor.

Since he started playing the blues professionally nearly 40 years ago, Lil’ Ed has released many records, won multiple awards, and gained the admiration of master musicians and fans alike. With his deep back bends, high toe walks, signature sound, and undeniable stage presence, Lil’ Ed’s music embodies classic Chicago blues, one of the most thrilling and iconic sounds in American music.

Artist social media and website:

liledblues.com
facebook.com/LilEdandBluesImperials

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