Performance · Production
Andre Williams
real name Zephire Andre Williams
Andre Williams is credited on 1,341 releases across 406 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1955–2025 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.
1,341
Credits
406
Albums
8
Decades active
299
In collections
Biography
Showing the Discogs bio
Andre Williams (November 1, 1936 Bessemer, Alabama – March 17th, 2019 Chicago, Illinois) was an American R&B musician who started his career in the 1950s at Fortune Records in Detroit. His most famous songs include the hits "Jail Bait," "Greasy Chicken," "Bacon Fat" (1957) and "Cadillac Jack" (1966). He was also the co-author of the R&B hit "Shake a Tail Feather".
Andre "Mr. Rhythm" Williams started his recording career in Detroit, Michigan on the small but prolific label. Williams recorded upon, or has writing credits upon, in excess of 200 songs - including: "Bacon Fat", "Pig Snoots", "JailBait", "Pass The Biscuits", "Rib Tips" and "The Greasy Chicken", working with line-ups like The Don Juans. (This band's tenor-saxophonist was cousin to Williams' wife.)
An often risqué musician, Williams became known as a producer and songwriter, composing such tunes: "Shake A Tailfeather", "Cadillac Jack", "Funky Judge" and "Twine Time" for bands like The Five Du-Tones and Alvin Cash & The Crawlers.
By the 1980’s Andre Williams was on drugs and homeless. After cleaning himself up, he began making music again in the late 1990s, releasing "Greasy", "Silky", and "The Black Godfather". He also performed under several aliases.
Bio from Discogs
Credited work
1,341 releases · 406 albums · active 1955–2025
- Performance · 1,375
- Production · 378
- Other credits · 37
Studios: The Hit Factory · UMRK · Record Plant, N.Y.C. · L'Olympia
Discography
Records they worked on — most-collected first.

The Blues Brothers (Original Soundtrack Recording)
1980

Stage Fright
1970

Orange
1994

In Heat
1983

Looking Back
1977

Where Did Our Love Go
1964

Giant Step / De Ole Folks At Home
1969

Foghat
1972

Extra Width
1993

Nightmares ...And Other Tales From The Vinyl Jungle
1974

The Greatest Hits (Why Try Harder)
2006

Broadway The Hard Way
1988

The Definitive Collection
1992

Live
1978

Greatest Hits
1972

Take A Ride...
1966

The Very Best Of The Blues Brothers
1995

Hairspray (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1988

Love Is Here And Now You're Gone
1972

All Mitch Ryder Hits!
1967

Greatest Hits
1964

Rev Up - The Best Of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
1989

Nutbush City Limits / Help Him
1973

Live In Paris
1971
Frequent collaborators
- Various
- Ike & Tina Turner
- Tina Turner
- James & Bobby Purify
- Jo Ann Garrett
- Bobby Bland
- Mary Wells
- Andre Williams (Mr. Rhythm)
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