Swamp Dogg - Biography and Career

Biography and Career

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Williams made his first recording in 1954 under the moniker "Little Jerry", a 78 rpm single on the Mechanic label titled "HTD Blues" / "Nats Wailing". In 1963 he began using the moniker "Little Jerry Williams", recording with Loma Records, and by 1966 he had dropped the "Little" to record as Jerry Williams.

In 1970 he took on the persona of "Swamp Dogg" and released his first LP record, Total Destruction to Your Mind. The cover of his 1971 album, Rat On!, featuring Williams on the back of an oversized white rat, was ranked as one of the worst album covers of all time. Moving from one record label to another during the next 26 years of his recording career, he finally settled on his own record label S.D.E.G. Records . His latest recording is titled Give Em As Little As You Can...As Often As You Have To...or...A Tribute To Rock 'n' Roll (2009), although he is rumored to be working on new material, including a collaboration with the author Ben Greenman.

Williams is also a noted songwriter and record producer. In an interview on NPR's Studio 360, Williams stated he was raised on country music: "Black music didn't start 'til 10 at night until 4 in the morning and I was in bed by then.. . . If you strip my tracks, take away all the horns and guitar licks, what you have is a country song." Williams also produces country music and has been nominated for a Grammy, along with Gary US Bonds, for writing the Johnny Paycheck record "She's All I Got". Other artists he has worked with include Doris Duke, Irma Thomas, Z. Z. Hill, Dee Dee Warwick, and Arthur Conley.