Paul Williams and Doyle Lawson at IBMA Bluegrass Live! ’25 – photo © Sandy Hatley
The musical works of Paul Williams were recognized during a special IBMA songwriters’ session in the Chattanooga Convention Center as IBMA Bluegrass Live! 2025 kicked off the weekend.
Paul, and his longtime friend and former band mate, Doyle Lawson, were joined on a small stage by others who have revered and recorded his works, Johnny & Jeanette Williams, and Greg Blake. Mike Mitchell served as moderator.
Mitchell began the session.
“I welcome you to this very important event. I said a little prayer on what to say. I ran into two young boys from Raleigh in my hotel. I told them, ‘You need to hear these men. They are the reason we do what we do.’ I then realized that was all I needed to say.”
Born in Wytheville, VA on March 30,1935, Paul is known as a singer and songwriter. Recognized for his tenor voice and mandolin playing, he was part of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, and his own gospel group, the Victory Trio. Paul is credited with writing over 125 songs.
Born Paul Humphrey, he adopted his stage name with his cousin to become the Williams Brothers. The name Paul Williams stuck.
In his life, Paul has achieved a great deal in music. He was inducted twice into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was included as part of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers. In 2018, he was inducted individually. Paul served in the United States Air Force, and retired from the United States Postal Service. He continues to perform in churches and on the radio.
Paul credit the two best things that ever happened to him were on December 4, 1962 when he married Edria, and on the last Sunday in August 1963 when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
After a brief introduction from her husband, Johnny, Jeanette began the tribute by singing one of Paul’s songs that she recorded, Just One Year Ago.
“Thanks for letting me cut that one,” she conveyed to its composer.
Paul humbly responded, “She done a good job.”
Next, IBMA’s newly named 2025 Male Vocalist of Year, Greg Blake, paid homage to the songsmith.
“The first time I heard Paul’s music was on a 33⅓ LP when I was 12 or 13. It was a gospel song, I Like to Hear Them Preaching. I grew up in a little small church up in a holler in West Virginia. We didn’t have a piano, so I would play guitar with a couple of boys and sing that song. Then I became acquainted with the man. We started a friendship through phone calls. When your heroes become your friends, it’s a cool thing. It doesn’t happen in any other genre.”
Then Greg sang Paul’s song, Mr. Engineer. The audience spontaneously joined in on singing the familiar chorus.
For the session, Doyle played Jimmy Martin’s guitar. Jimmy was Paul’s brother-in-law.
“I’m holding a guitar owned by the man that gave me my first job, and he’s still my hero – Jimmy Martin,” Doyle proclaimed. “This guitar has a history. I want to thank Jimmy’s youngest son, Buddy, for letting me play this guitar.”
Paul and Doyle were both Sunny Mountain Boys in early 1963.
“I admire Paul’s work. He’s the greatest songwriter,” Lawson said. “He’s an incredible man with a great sense of humor. We had no bus. We traveled in Jimmy’s 1949 Cadillac. Those miles in a car could get pretty long, but Paul kept us laughing.”
Paul noted, “We need to laugh all we can. There’s too much sadness in the world.”
Doyle continued, “I left in the summer of ’63, but we never lost our friendship. He is as much my brother as my biological brother.”
Next Doyle launched into one of the first songs that Paul wrote, Brown-eyed Darling. Paul sang lead on the verses and switched to tenor on the choruses. Then the pair sang, Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand and Blue Memories.
Jeanette expressed, “It’s an honor and a privilege to be up here with bluegrass royalty.”
Then Paul and Doyle sang another of Paul’s songs that has become a bluegrass classIc, My Walking Shoes.
Mitchell then suggested a group singalong on Hold What You Got. Afterwards, Doyle joked, “I can see it now: Lawson & WIlliams’ Bluegrass Choir.”
Jeanette thanked Johnny for “bringing this idea [Paul Williams Tribute] to the songwriting committee.”
The session concluded with Paul singing his signature tune, Fraulein. The audience responded with a standing ovation before and after his closing song.
