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