Melvin Williams (musician) facts for kids

Melvin LeVarn Williams (born July 21, 1953) is an American gospel musician. He is known for his powerful singing and unique guitar playing. Melvin started his solo music career in 1988. Many of his albums, like Back to the Cross and Where I Started From, have been popular on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.

Early Life and Family

Melvin LeVarn Williams was born on July 21, 1953. His hometown is Smithdale, Mississippi. His father was Leon "Pop" Williams and his mother was Amanda "Mom" Williams. Melvin has three brothers: Leonard, Doug, and the late Frank Williams. Melvin and Doug work together to run Blackberry Records, which is their family's record label.

Melvin Williams' Music Career

Melvin Williams is a member of The Williams Brothers. His father started this famous gospel music group in 1960. Melvin began his solo music career in 1988. His first solo album was Back to the Cross. It quickly became popular, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.

In 1998, Melvin released Never Seen Your Face. This album also did well, charting at No. 34. Later, in 2007, he released two albums on the same day. These were Crazy Like Love and Love Like Crazy. Both albums appeared on the Gospel Albums chart. Crazy Like Love reached No. 17, and Love Like Crazy reached No. 32.

His 2017 album, Where I Started From, was a big hit. It featured 12 new songs, including "Claim It Now." This album reached No. 9 on the Christian Soundscan Chart. It also made it to No. 18 on the Billboard Top 20 Gospel Charts.

Unique Guitar Style

For over 58 years, Melvin Williams has played the guitar in a special way. He plays a right-handed guitar upside down and backwards. He uses his left hand, which means the strings are upside-down. This unique style makes his music stand out. Many famous musicians also play the guitar in their own special ways. These include Jimi Hendrix and Albert King.

Music Ambassador for the U.S.

Melvin Williams also serves as a US Music Ambassador. He works with the U.S. Department of State. In this role, he travels around the world. He hosts special classes and performs concerts. He has visited places like Moscow, Russia, and Baku, Azerbaijan.

The US State Department started this program in the 1950s. Famous jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong were the first ambassadors. Their goal was to help people in other countries understand American music and culture. In 2009, the program grew to include all types of music.

Melvin continues his role as an ambassador today. He has a tour called "Preserve Traditional Gospel Music: Where I Started From." He is touring the U.S. and plans to visit Europe, Australia, and other places.

Grammy Award Nominations

Melvin Williams has been nominated for several Grammy Awards. These awards celebrate the best in music.

Melvin Williams' Albums

Here is a list of Melvin Williams' studio albums. It shows how well they did on the music charts.