His label, Pravada Records, broke the news via Facebook that the American R&B musician had passed away in Chicago on March 18. His manager, Kenn Goodman, gave further details to Billboard: "He was diagnosed two weeks ago with colon cancer that spread to his lungs and brain."
Williams was born Zephire Andre Williams on November 1, 1936 in Bessemer, Alabama. His most well known works include Jail Bait, Greasy Chicken, Bacon Fat, Cadillac Jack and Shake A Tail Feather — the latter of which he co-wrote with Otha Hayes and Verlie Rice. He also co-wrote Stevie Wonder's first single, Thank You for Loving Me, among many others throughout the 1960s and '70s.
He earned the nickname "Godfather of Rap" due to his sing-talk style and was also billed as "Mr Rhythm" for his performances during the '50s.
Williams released more than 20 albums during the course of his career and worked with numerous labels and big stars, including Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tina Turner. He became part of the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends online Hall of Fame in 2012, while his last album was 2016's 'I Wanna Go Back to Detroit City'.
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