WHO IS B.C. WILLIAMSON?Coming from a poor agricultural family in Mississippi, B.C. Williamson rose to become a pioneer of the blues in the early 1950s, releasing "Giraffe" in 1953. By 1960, after a brief spell of military service, Williamson had embraced electrified music, crossing over into widespread success throughout America, attracting audiences both black and white to his intense live appearances. Williamson soon shed his blues roots, now influenced by genres ranging from Brazilian samba to contemporary classical music to primitive electronica. Recordings made after 1965 are hailed by music historians as instrumental in the development of alternative/punk rock. After further experiments in the style, Williamson retired to Havana in 1970, remaining there until 1975. He would then return to the United States, recording "Come Back". Failing to find success in this new era, Williamson would record sporadically over the next fifteen years. Dissatisfied with the state of the music industry, Williamson joined the clergy in the late 1980s. His last album would be released in 1989, before he gave up music for good, choosing to focus upon his church work. Rejecting religion in 2005, Williamson has finally rekindled his music career, moving to London, England in 2009, where he produces and records new music. As of 2012, Williamson is working on a sample-based electronica EP, a rarities collection, a set of memoirs, and an English doctorate at University College London. A feature documentary about his life "Standing Tall And Straight: The B.C. Williamson Story" is currently in production. Welcome to his website, created under the supervision of the man himself.
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