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"The world's # 1 house-rocking blues band," is how Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials have been described -- and with good reason. Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials were one of the premiere party bands to come out of Chicago during the 1980s, often compared to Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor. Lil' Ed Williams, with his firey, rough-edged slide guitar style and flamboyant live shows, has garnered a large, loyal following of fans who affectionately call themselves "Ed Heads." A native of Chicago (born April 8, 1955), Lil' Ed was first inspired by his uncle, renowned slide guitarist J.B. Hutto, with whom he studied as a young teen. Hutto not only taught him slide, but he also introduced Lil' Ed to bass and drums. Williams' brother, James "Pookie" Young, was also a student of Hutto, later becoming the bassist for the Blues Imperials. The brothers co-founded their group in the early '70s and went professional in 1975, playing at Big Duke's Blue Flame, on the West Side. The gig earned them a whopping six bucks, which the group members split evenly. Despite their humble start, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials kept performing and by the early '80s had developed a substantial regional following. In 1986 after signing with Alligator Records, they released their debut album, Roughhousin', and found themselves receiving international attention. After a short break from touring, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials are back on the road again. This follows the release of their 1999 Alligator CD, Get Wild! Lil' Ed's unbridled enthusiasm is absolutely contagious! His raw, frenzied slide guitar playing and wild acrobatics, which hearkens back to the "house-rockin' days of Hound Dog Taylor, is a blues lovers dream.
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