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Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum

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Paul Williams

Paul Williams career in bluegrass has spanned seven decades. He is best known for a six-year stretch with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys but also had a memorable run with the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and more recently fronted his own band, the Victory Trio. As a songwriter, he has over 125 songs to his credit.

Born in Wytheville, Virginia, in 1935, Paul received a mandolin from his father before he was ten and was soon making music with a distant cousin, Jimmy Williams. Although Paul was born with the last name of Humphrey, he adopted the stage name of Williams so that he and Jimmy could be billed as the Williams Brothers.

In their early teens, the Williams Brothers landed a spot on radio station WPUV in nearby Pulaski, Virginia. The duo toured with an act known as Black Whip, which also included a banjo player who was billed as Uncle Leroy. Their next stop was WWYO in Pineville, West Virginia, where the boys signed on with the English Ramblers, a group that featured banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Yet another switch came when they migrated to Marion, Virginia, and radio station WMEV. Here they were hired by Cousin Zeke Leonard for his Virginia Valley Boys.

In the early part of 1951, Paul and Jimmy landed with the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers. The group was headquartered out of radio station WHIS in Bluefield, West Virginia. Just sixteen at the time, Paul received a salary five dollars per show. In May of the next year, following Jimmy’s departure, Paul recorded the first of two Nashville sessions with the group, playing guitar and singing lead and tenor. Three of the four RCA releases bore his name as composer: “You Broke Your Promise,” “I’m Left Alone,” and “Nobody Cares (Not Even You).” A second session, in October, included two of Paul’s songs: “My Brown Eyed Darling” and “That’s Why You Left Me So Blue.”

At the start of 1953, the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers relocated to Detroit to appear on WJR’s Saturday night Big Barn Frolic. Band members secured day jobs to supplement their income. During the band’s tenure in Detroit, Paul cut his final session with the group. They recorded six selections at a studio in Chicago in August 1953, none of them written by Paul.

Shortly after the session, Paul briefly joined the Stanley Brothers, whose Clinch Mountain Boys included his cousin Jim Williams. Paul roomed at the Stanley home on Smith Ridge in rural Dickenson County, Virginia. At the start of 1954, he enlisted in the Air Force. While stationed in the Far East, Paul played electric guitar in a country band.

Upon his discharge from the Air Force, Paul visited with the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, then headquartered at radio station WLSI in Pikeville, Kentucky. It was here that Jimmy Martin called, asking him to replace Earl Taylor on mandolin and tenor vocals in the Sunny Mountain Boys. Paul joined Jimmy in Detroit in the fall of 1957 and played nightclubs three nights a week. Also in the band was banjo player J.D. Crowe. The trio of Martin, Williams, and Crowe made the Sunny Mountain Boys one of the most dynamic groups in bluegrass history.

In February of 1958, Martin moved the band to Shreveport where they appeared on KWKH and the Louisiana Hayride. Also in February, Paul cut his first session with Martin, at Bradley Studio in Nashville. Six songs were recorded, including Paul’s “I Like to Hear ‘Em Preach It.”

During his six years as a Sunny Mountain Boy, Paul recorded eleven sessions and forty-nine songs. He returned to the studio with Jimmy as a guest in 1967 and 1968, adding two sessions and six more songs. By his own reckoning, Paul wrote at least half of the songs he recorded with Martin. Some were credited in his own name, some were listed as joint collaborations between himself and Martin, and others—for whatever reason—were copyrighted in Jimmy’s name. In at least one instance, one of Paul’s songs was published under his wife’s name. Among his credited and uncredited triumphs are bluegrass classics: “Night,” “Hold Whatcha Got,” “The Joke’s On You,” “Old Fashioned Christmas,” “I Can, I Will, I Do Believe,” “My Walking Shoes,” “Pretending I Don’t Care,” “Mr. Engineer,” and “Shut-In’s Prayer.”

While in Shreveport, Paul left Martin briefly to perform with James O’Gwynn, another Hayride artist. By the latter part of 1958, Williams was back with Jimmy Martin in time to move to Wheeling, West Virginia, and WWVA. Many cite the band’s tenure there as its artistic and commercial high point.

In 1963, Paul received salvation and subsequently turned in his notice to Jimmy Martin. For the next thirty years he held non-musical jobs, retiring from the U.S. Post Office in 1995. During these decades, he continued to keep a hand in music by being the choir director for his church and a member of an a cappella gospel quartet which had a program on radio station WMTN in Morristown, Tennessee.

Coinciding with his retirement, Paul launched his own gospel group, the Victory Trio. The group toured for the next fifteen years, averaging an album a year, starting with Ain’t God Good for Rounder. All of his subsequent band projects, as well as a duet album with veteran Cliff Waldron, appeared on Rebel. In 2010, he teamed up with Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe for Old Friends Get Together on the Mountain Home label. The album won IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year and Gospel Event of the Year. A second release, Standing Tall and Tough, followed (2014), as well as a duet project by Paul and Doyle called Chapter Three (2017).

Over the years, Paul’s songs have been covered by a number of artists including Jimmy Martin, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hank Williams, Jr., Ernest Tubb, Charlie Walker, Ray Charles, the Osborne Brothers, IIIrd Tyme Out, Marty Raybon, Doyle Lawson, the Primitive Quartet, Vernon Oxford, and Here Today (David Grisman, Emory Gordy Jr., Herb Pedersen, Jim Buchanan and Vince Gill).

In 2013 Paul scaled back his performance activities but he continues to make select appearances with Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe as well as with the Victory Trio.

– Gary Reid is a bluegrass music historian, journalist, producer, and actor based in Roanoke, Virginia.

The Copyright Office database credits Paul Williams with 137 published compositions, co-compositions, or arrangements, including:

• “Ain’t God Good”
• “Deep River”
• “Mr. Engineer”
• “My Walking Shoes”
• “Old Fashioned Christmas”
• “One Kiss Away from Loneliness”
• “Prayer Bells of Heaven”
• “Pretending I Don’t Care”
• “Stormy Waters”
• “Theme Time”

Early Influences

• George Humphrey (father)
• Two brothers (both played guitar)
• Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys
• Sauceman Brothers and the Green Valley Boys

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His music is personal and so is his show. A peep into the life of a truly gifted soul. The lyrics and melodies are truly 'Evergreen'. Many thanks for sharing your talent with us.

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Paul Williams & The Victory Trio

When you see or hear the name Paul Williams, the next thought will be of a quality person with a great voice and a smooth mandolin lick, using his talents to lift up the name of Jesus. Bluegrass fans love to hear great gospel tunes but if you want to  feel  bluegrass gospel, then Paul Williams and the Victory Trio are the real deal.

Paul’s love for music and the Lord began at the age of nine when his father bought him an “A” model Gibson mandolin to play in prayer meetings and church services. The love and dedication continue today with Paul and his great band traveling all over the country spreading the good news at churches, festivals and benefits.

Paul’s legendary career began with The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers in the ’50s; he then went on to become one of Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Paul did an extensive amount of song writing and recording during these years. Some of the songs he wrote during his time with Jimmy–“Don’t Cry To Me,” “Prayer Bells In Heaven,” and “I Like To Hear Them Preach It” to name a few–are considered bluegrass classics.

In August of 1963, Paul’s life was changed forever when he found the most precious gift of Salvation. He retired from the Bluegrass circuits, but continued to write songs and play in churches and radio broadcasts for the next thirty-three years.

In 1995, Paul formed the Victory Trio and began to play in churches around his Morristown, Tennessee, hometown. While the group was an immediate regional success, it took four years and the proper breaks to achieve national recognition. The band’s big break manifested itself as their second self-produced recording  Old Ways & Old Paths  was re-released on Rebel Records and subsequently nominated for a Grammy in 2000 in the Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album category.

Paul and The Victory Trio continued to release great bluegrass gospel albums through Rebel Records. As a result of these projects and appearances, they received many nominations for awards. In 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music (SPBGMA), and the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) nominated the band for Bluegrass Group of the Year, Bluegrass Gospel-Traditional Group of the Year and Bluegrass Vocal Group of the Year respectively. In February 2007, the group captured SPBGMA’s Bluegrass Gospel-Traditional Group of the Year.

On December 31, 2013 after over sixty years on the road and a very succesful career, Paul Williams retired.

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P.O. Box 7405 • Charlottesville, VA 22906

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Phone: (434) 973-5151

© 2016 Rebel Records. All Rights Reserved.

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Paul Williams and The Victory Trio: Just A Little Closer Home

by Jack Dwyer

“There’s Still Time”

The highlight of this album, of course, would have to be Williams’ powerful and pure tenor singing. Yet, he is skillfully accompanied by a cast of talented vocalists and pickers, which makes for an entertaining mix of bluegrass breakdowns, ballads, and ensemble singing.  The vocals shine particularly bright on the fourth and ninth tracks of the album, which are performed without instrumental accompaniment, in the classic bluegrass gospel a cappella style.  All this makes for good listening, especially for gospel fans, but also for those who aren’t normally drawn to gospel music. This is entirely due to Mr. Williams and his band, all of whom possess a high degree of musicianship, which they have succeeded in capturing on this recording.

Rebel Records

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Paul Williams & the Victory Trio

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Thursday, November 14

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ARTIST SHOWCASE Donna Ulisse, Daryl Mosley Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle Rick Stanley

Friday, November 15

Larry Sparks and Lonesome Ramblers Larry Efaw & Bluegrass Mountaineers Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road New Outlook

Saturday, November 16

Paul Williams & Victory Trio Reunion Dale Ann Bradley Deeper Shade of Blue Dean Osborne Band Kentucky Just Us Little Roy and Lizzy Show Headin’ Home Bluegrass

Paul Williams

Special Guest

Raised in eastern Tennessee, Paul Williams is both an accomplished mandolin player, lead, and tenor vocalist who began his musical career in the early ’50s as part of Lonesome Pine Fiddlers. Afterward, he signed on with Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys which included one of the most respected banjo players ever, J.D. Crowe.

But, by 1963, Williams had given up on his musical career, as he took a job with the U.S. Postal Service. He didn’t turn his back on music entirely, however, as he performed gospel music regionally. After his retirement, Williams’ interest in music was rekindled, as he issued a pair of albums in the late ’90s, 1997’s self-titled debut, and 1999’s Old Ways and Old Paths.

Paul is our Festival Ambassador and will be around to visit with the fans and may come up on stage Thursday night. Bluegrass/gospel artist

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Paul Williams to Bluegrass Hall of Fame

by Greg McGrath | 21 Jul, 2012

Paul’s legendary career began with The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers in the 1950s. He then went on to become one of Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In August of 1963, Paul retired from the Bluegrass circuit, but continued to write songs and play in churches and radio broadcasts for the next thirty-three years. In 1995, Paul formed the Victory Trio with the band’s big break coming with their 2000 Grammy nomination for their album, Old Ways & Old Paths that was re-released on Rebel Records. Paul Williams and the Victory Trio have continued to release great bluegrass gospel albums throughout the years and have garnered numerous other awards and nominations throughout their impressive career.

Emcees for The 38th Annual Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Uncle Pen Days Festival are the Legendary Tommy Lamb and George Riddle.

Each festival ticket includes: admission to the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Country Star Museum and Uncle Pen’s cabin tour, plus all music and instrument workshops. There will be plenty of food concessions and merchants. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the fun. Shows take place rain or shine.

For more information including tickets, directions and complete schedule, please visit BeanBlossom.US. The 38th Annual Bill Monroe Hall of Fame & Uncle Days is sponsored by: Martin Guitar, Dillman Furniture, and Hope River Entertainment.

Now in its 38th year, Bean Blossom is one of the oldest bluegrass festivals in the world. One of Bill Monroe’s role models was his fiddle playin’ Uncle Pendleton Vandiver, whom he paid tribute to in the hit song Uncle Pen . Bill created the honorary Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Uncle Pen Days festival to not only honor is Uncle Pen, but to pay tribute to those he felt made contributions to bluegrass music.

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Paul Williams – Just A Little Closer Home

As always, this is a new recording of heartfelt bluegrass Gospel music, featuring the veteran singer and his talented band. The material includes new songs from Paul, and Tom T. & Dixie Hall, plus a gem from Wade Mainer and a new contribution from Susie Keys, bass player with Victory Trio among the 12 tracks.

The complete track listings is:

• Living The Life Right Now
• What A Meeting In The Air
• Anywhere Is Home
• He Answered My Plea
• Only God’s Son
• The Best Time Of My Life
• Someone Made The Sandals Jesus Wore
• Just A Little Closer Home
• I’m Longing For Home
• There’s Still Time
• The Lord Still Lives In This Old House
• I’ve Been Set Free

Victory Trio consists of Paul Williams on mandolin and vocals, Dan Moneyhun on guitar and vocals, Adam Winstead on guitar and vocals, Jerry Keys on banjo and vocals, and Susie Keys on bass. Kevin Jackson guests on fiddle.

Mark Freeman at Rebel said that the exact release date hasn’t been set, but should be announced soon. If you just can’t wait, Paul has copies of the CD now, and is offering them for sale at his shows. Their tour schedule is listed on the band’s MySpace page .

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