Listen to You Look Like I Could Use a Drink

Jason D. Williams has spent a lifetime behind the piano connecting with country and rock 'n' roll greats while creating a persona that's 100 percent original. After decades of being celebrated for his take-no-prisoners approach to performing country and rock 'n' roll penned by others, Williams has added a new element to his artistry, songwriting.

The rock 'n' roll history of Memphis looms large in Williams' world. He recorded for RCA and Sun Records in the 1980s and '90s, and returned to the recording fold in 2010. Sun Records, the early label home of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and the man who first took Williams on the road, rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef.

At the age of 16, Williams left his tiny hometown of El Dorado, Ark., to perform with LaBeef who had set up a base of operations in northeast Massachusetts.

Williams, who continues to work with LaBeef on occasion, went solo in the late 1980s and had a gig booked at the Peabody in Memphis. A snowstorm followed him into town that prevented anyone from leaving or entering the city. Williams' quickly attracted a following and the Peabody management gave him a permanent gig at the hotel for several years.

He left after signing with RCA, which released his first album "Tore Up," and he stayed on the road after Sun issued "Wild" in 1993. "Don’t Get None Onya’," released in 2004, captured the power of his blend of honky tonk country and Memphis rock 'n' roll.

Williams has continued to tour and performs about 160 shows per year. Having a visual appeal on par with his musical talent has led to numerous television appearances and various shows on MTV, VH1 and CMT.

A wild man onstage, Jason accredits influences like Jerry Lee Lewis, Moon Mulligan, Memphis Slim and Al Jolsen, for helping to develop his vast repertoire and seemingly endless energy. “I’ve always welcomed the comparisons, my influences were some of the greatest entertainers ever to be seen”.