Doug and Melvin Williams Reflect on Gospel Legacy

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/05/10

Doug Williams and Melvin Williams are iconic gospel musicians from the legendary Williams family. They reflect on the enduring legacy of their late brother Huey Williams, lead singer of the Jackson Southernaires, and their father Leon “Pop” Williams, a strict but visionary manager and booking agent. The Williams Brothers’ music journey began humbly in Smithdale, Mississippi, evolving into six decades of faith-driven performances worldwide, including appearances at the White House and collaborations with legends like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. Emphasizing authenticity, spiritual purpose, and family unity, Doug and Melvin discuss the feel and power of gospel music, their deep roots in traditional sound, and balancing cultural preservation with modern relevance. They highlight the transformative nature of gospel music and its power to uplift in troubled times. Their message: stay true to your gift, honour your legacy, and use music to heal and inspire others.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we’re here with Doug Williams and Melvin Williams of the famed Huey Williams, Paul Williams, Doug Williams, and Melvin Williams family. 

Leon “Pop” Williams was the founding patriarch of the Williams gospel music legacy. A farmer, bricklayer, and visionary gospel manager from Smithdale, Mississippi, he formed and managed several groups, including The Big Four Gospel Singers and the Southern Gospel Singers, laying the foundation for what would become the Jackson Southernaires and the Williams Brothers. Known for his disciplined leadership, keen musical sensibility, and unwavering commitment to spiritual authenticity, Leon was instrumental in discovering, mentoring, and managing his children’s musical careers. He booked legendary gospel acts across Mississippi and the broader South and maintained the family’s touring and recording schedules through handwritten ledgers, long before digital systems existed. His influence shaped not only the Williams family but also the trajectory of traditional gospel music. Leon “Pop” Williams is now recognized as a pivotal figure in gospel history and is memorialized through exhibits in the Mississippi Grammy Museum.

Frank Williams was a founding member of the Jackson Southernaires and a key figure in shaping modern gospel music alongside his brothers. Known for his distinctive voice and musical leadership, Frank was instrumental in bridging traditional quartet styles with contemporary gospel sounds. He co-founded the Mississippi Mass Choir in 1988, one of the most influential gospel choirs in the United States. Until his passing in 1993, Frank remained a spiritual and creative force, helping to guide the next generation of gospel musicians while honoring the deep-rooted traditions of Southern gospel.

Huey Williams was the legendary lead vocalist of the Jackson Southernaires, a gospel quartet that played a key role in shaping traditional gospel music for over five decades. Known for his powerful voice, heartfelt delivery, and unwavering faith, Huey became a pillar of the genre. His dedication and influence extended across generations of gospel musicians until his passing in 2025. Under his leadership, the Jackson Southerners rose to national prominence. His legacy is now carried forward musically by his son, Paul Williams.

Doug Williams is a seasoned gospel singer, songwriter, and music executive, best known as a member of the legendary Williams Brothers. He is also the founder of DLW Music Group and a former president of Blackberry Records. Doug has been instrumental in evolving gospel music for contemporary audiences while staying true to its spiritual core. In 2023, he released an album inspired by deep spiritual reflection during the pandemic. His work continues to inspire through both music and mentorship.

Melvin Williams, a Grammy-nominated gospel vocalist and co-founder of the Williams Brothers, is celebrated for his rich baritone voice and deeply moving performances. A tireless ambassador for gospel music, Melvin has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting traditional gospel. He has performed internationally and, in 2024, released a single titled “What Are You Thankful For?” Melvin remains vital in gospel music and faith communities through touring, recording, and ministry outreach.

Paul Williams is a gospel singer rooted in the traditions of the Jackson Southernaires. Paul has embraced his family’s legacy with dedication, continuing to sing and serve as a bearer of the Southernaires’ message. He honours his father’s legacy through music and forges his voice within the gospel tradition.

Thank you, Doug and Melvin, for joining me today. I appreciate it—whether you’re mowing the lawn or just relaxing.

Doug Williams: Thanks for having us.

Melvin Williams: Thank you for inviting us.

Jacobsen: So, the big question, coming from such a rich lineage of gospel music and ministry: What does a legacy spanning decades—as a family, working in the community, and being ambassadors for gospel music—mean to you?

Doug Williams: It means an awful lot because this legacy started before we were born. My father, Leon “Pop” Williams, was a gospel singer. The late Leon “Pop” Williams had a group called The Big Four Gospel Singers, even before Melvin and I were born.

Then, he formed another group called the Southern Gospel Singers, including my brothers Frank Williams and Huey Williams, my sisters Josie and Marie Ortiz, and two of my cousins, M.A. Spell and Herbert Bell. So, after that, it evolved. And of course—of course—Huey was there. He was part of the Southern Gospel Singers. Then, the Williams Brothers got started.

It was funny how we got started. Melvin and I were the younger kids in the Williams family, along with our brother Leonard and our sister Marilyn. We were out in the front yard one day, just playing, singing, and making up songs, and we came up with this little song called “Hobbit, Dibi, Dovi, Dae.”

To this day, I have no idea what that means, but we started singing “Hobbit, Dibi, Dovi, Dae,” and we began harmonizing right there in the front yard. Then my father walked out on the front porch, heard us singing, and thought we sounded good. So he asked us to come inside and sing some more—and that’s how the Williams Brothers group started.

So it’s a family tradition. We’ve been doing this for over sixty years. The Williams Brothers have been performing for over six decades. We started in the country. We’re from a very small place—Smithdale, Mississippi—where we raised cotton and had cows, chickens, hogs—you name it, we had it. We raised everything we ate right there on the farm. We had a big, big farm. My dad was a farmer and a bricklayer, among other things.

Thinking about the journey—from starting in Smithdale to performing at the White House for President Obama—it’s incredible. As young boys, we never dreamed something like that could happen. But God saw fit to allow us to do something meaningful, to the point where we could perform for the President of the United States. It’s amazing. This means an awful lot because it’s a legacy we want to continue.

Melvin Williams: That legacy and that journey with the Williams Brothers would not have happened without the Jackson Southernaires, Huey Williams and my brother Frank Williams. Once my dad thought we were good enough to record, he contacted my brothers based in Houston, Texas, who were on Peacock/Song Bird, the big label back then.

It had artists like B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Johnny Taylor, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the legendary Pilgrim Jubilees, the Nightingales—the list goes on. So the Jackson Southernaires went to the President and owner of the label and said, “We’ve got some little brothers, man. They’re really good. You might want to give them a listen.” And he said, “If you think they’re good, bring them on. Tell them to come in, and we’ll put them in the studio and see what they’ve got.”

And so we did. We recorded our first record in 1973, which came out in 1974. And the rest is history. We were just happy to be there and to record.

We knew nothing about contracts, money, publishing, or songwriting rights—none of that. But we could write, we could sing a little bit, and we could play a little bit. We got this big contract from Sunbird/Peacock Records, and basically, what we received for that first record was… well, we went across the street and got cheeseburgers, French fries, hot dogs.

Doug Williams: That was our pay. That was it.

Melvin Williams: But the crazy thing about that first record is that, at the time, Jet Magazine was still publishing gospel music charts—and we reached the Top 10. We thought we were on top of the world, man. And we didn’t even know what that meant in the grand scheme of the gospel music world or industry. But we soon found out.

From that, our brothers—Huey and Frank—took us on the road. Yes, Huey and Frank. That was our first tour. I do not remember who organized the second one, but we did a round with them and the Pilgrim Jubilees at one point. And from there, it just grew. We later toured with the Gospel Keynotes and many others.

So that’s the journey. That’s how we came to be known as the Williams Brothers—through Huey Williams, the Jackson Southernaires, and our brother Frank Williams. The legacy he left behind is untouchable, unmatched, and unimaginable. He was one of a kind—a one-of-a-kind lead singer, a one-of-a-kind voice.

When his vocals came on the radio, you knew it was Huey Williams. When it was Frank Williams, their voices were unique, distinct, and authentic. We were blessed to follow in the footsteps of such a legendary group as the Jackson Southernaires.

Jacobsen: As a small side question, what changed in the industry caused Jet Magazine to no longer list gospel charts?

Doug Williams: The format of the entire magazine changed. They stopped putting charts in the magazine altogether. They used to feature gospel, R&B, and jazz charts. But they do not even list any charts anymore.

Melvin Williams: Yes, Jet had three main charts at that time—gospel, R&B, and jazz. They did not have a dedicated blues chart because back then, they folded blues artists like Johnny Taylor and B.B. King into the R&B category.

Doug Williams: R&B and blues—yes.

Melvin Williams: So from there, we flourished as the Williams Brothers, man.

Jacobsen: What do you consider some of your most cherished memories of working with your father, either on or off the road?

Doug  Williams: My father, Leon “Pop” Williams, was our manager. He organized the group. He managed us. He travelled with us. And let me tell you—he was strict. My dad was very strict. He did not play around when it came to doing what he expected you to do. 

Jacobsen: As the saying goes—”You’re gonna learn today.”

Melvin Williams: Yes [Laughing].

Doug Williams: [Laughing]. People say Joe Jackson was tough on Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, but our dad was tough on us. Maybe not quite as tough as Joe, but still very firm.

We had this little place he built outside his home for us to rehearse. We called it the “music house.” It’s still standing today. It didn’t have air conditioning—none. There was very little heat in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer. So, in the summertime, we’d raise the windows, put fans in them, and deal with the heat while we rehearsed. We would rehearse for hours and hours, day and night.

My dad would come and stand in the doorway and listen. Even as young kids, we did most of the writing and arranging ourselves. God had given us that talent. But if my daddy heard something he didn’t like, he would tell us right then and there: “Look, I can’t feel that.” For him, it was all about feeling. He didn’t want anything to do with the song if he could feel the song.

He’d say, “Y’all take that one back where it came from. Come back with something else.” So we had to go back and develop something he could feel was good. He was very strict with us, and he laid down the foundation. He laid down the rules—and he was strict about those rules. We had to abide by what he wanted us to do. That helped shape us into the men we are today.

For years, he was our manager, our booking manager, and the overall manager of the Williams Brothers until he eventually retired.

Melvin Williams: A few years ago, when they were building the Grammy Museum, Mississippi, we were looking for artifacts—photos, articles, uniforms, and other items—to go in the exhibit. I found my dad’s old address book and notebooks, where he had been booking concerts and programs. It had people’s names and phone numbers written down. I still have it somewhere down here, even though they didn’t use that part for the Grammy Museum.

But they did use a poster of him booking gospel groups—he booked nearly every major group you can think of right here in McComb, Mississippi, just a few miles from Smithdale, where we were raised. They also used a handwritten version of lyrics I wrote on a yellow pad for the song “I’m Just a Nobody, Trying to Tell Everybody.” Those items are in the museum today. So yes, our father—Leon “Pop” Williams—is now a part of the Mississippi Grammy Museum.

Doug Williams: The amazing thing about my father was that there were no computers back then and no contracts. He didn’t sign contracts with promoters or anything like that, even though he was the booking agent. There were no digital systems, no emails—none of that. Everything was written down by hand in his ledger. Whatever agreement he made with a promoter, he would jot it down in his book. We used to call it his booking book—or his booking ledger. He would write how much the group was booked for, the city, the promoter’s name, their phone number—everything was lined out in that book. That’s how he handled things.

Melvin Williams: Sometimes he would even have the promoter write a letter to confirm the details—how much they would pay us, the date, all of that. He used those letters to back up the dates. But most of the time, like you said, it was word-of-mouth.

Doug Williams: Your agreement was your word. Your word was your bond.

Melvin Williams: Yes—and many folks didn’t keep their word. Pop sometimes struggled to get our money or ensure they honoured their promises when we got to those cities. But that’s how he operated. He was strict about that, too.

He wanted us to sound right, dress right, carry ourselves right in public—the whole nine yards. That’s one of the things I remember most about him. Like I said, he was very strict, man. He was.

Doug Williams: Yes. One funny story to lighten the mood a bit—I remember we were somewhere on the East Coast. I think it was Wilmington, Delaware. We sang in a church, and the microphones weren’t loud enough. The band played loud, and you could barely hear what we were singing.

My father was standing in the back of the church. Right in the middle of the song, he walked up the aisle, stopped the song, and said, “The mics are too low, and the music is too loud.” Then he turned around and walked back to the back of the church.

Melvin Williams: We were so embarrassed. We were numb, like, “What just happened? Did he do that?” Right in front of everybody. You could hear the people whispering, like, “Whoa… what was that?” It was wild.

Doug Williams: It’s funny now—but it wasn’t back then.

Jacobsen: Especially in church. My gosh. Now, you’ve mentioned how your father was very focused on the feel of a song. If it felt wrong, he would send you back to practice it again. He would tell you to do more of that if it felt right.

Doug Williams: That’s it—keep practicing until it feels right. That was the standard.

Jacobsen: So—to the point of your father stopping you in the middle of a church performance or making a correction mid-song.

Melvin Williams: That kind of thing—Pop stepping in to correct in the middle of a performance—came from his background. He grew up listening to legendary gospel groups like the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, the Sensational Nightingales, and Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers, which also had Johnny Taylor in the group for a while. He listened to artists and groups like that, returning to Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Believe it or not, my father booked Sister Rosetta Tharpe in McComb, Mississippi. He booked nearly every major gospel artist of that era to come through McComb, whether it was the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Willie Banks and the Messengers, the Jackson Southernaires, the Pilgrim Jubilees, Shirley Caesar and the Caesar Singers—the list goes on and on.

What would happen if the word got out: Pop could pack a house. Two or three groups could fill a school auditorium with 1,500 to 2,000 people. McComb, Mississippi, was a great stop between Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans so that these gospel artists would call him—or another promoter named Ellis Miller—and book a date in McComb before heading to the major cities. They might sing in McComb on Saturday, perform in New Orleans on Sunday, and maybe go to Baton Rouge afterward.

Pop even booked Sister Edna Gallmon Cooke—and one of my favourites, the Dixie Hummingbirds. That was one of my all-time favourite gospel groups. They went on to record with major national and international artists like Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. They did “Love Me Like a Rock” and “Jesus Children of America” with Stevie Wonder. The list goes on.

Pop became famous for his booking—more than managing the Williams Brothers. Many people in the area didn’t understand what managing a gospel group involved, but they knew Pop could bring in the biggest artists in gospel music. That was his reputation.

Doug Williams: Yes, man. He was that guy. Quite the guy.

Jacobsen: The other question I had has to do with feel. You’ve talked about how important feeling was to your dad. So, if you had to ask him or reflect on yourselves, what is the feel of proper gospel music? How would you describe that? 

Melvin Williams: Doug, would you like to go first?

Doug Williams: You can go ahead.

Melvin Williams: For me—and my dad always said this too—it starts with judging the audience. You can tell when a song is resonating and when people can feel it based on the response you get from the audience. Whether in a church, a school, or an auditorium, you’ll see them stand up, clap their hands, shout, and praise God. And from that, there’s this energy that you send out—and it comes right back to you. It’s the spirit, man.

That’s how you know when something has feelings. That’s how you know when the spirit is moving and whether a song connects with people. If you’re up there singing and nobody’s clapping, they’re just looking around, not responding—you can cut that one short. You know it’s not hitting.

Doug Williams: But also, it’s a feeling that’s hard to explain. Something deep inside—down in your gut—makes the hair stand up on your arms or the back of your neck. You feel a kind of warmth, that rush of energy. It’s hard to explain, but when it feels good, you know it’s right. Yes, that’s the anointing. That’s the Holy Spirit taking over on the inside.

Melvin Williams: The anointing. My mom used to say that when she heard Mahalia Jackson sing, it made the hair stand up on her arms. That’s what gospel music does—it gives you those goosebumps. Man, it’s amazing. And that’s something that still amazes me to this day—I’m always in awe of the power of a song.

A song can speak when preachers cannot. It can get through when a sermon or even a movie can’t. A song can penetrate the heart, the soul, and the mind. It can change things. Think about it—some songs make you cry, songs that make you laugh, songs that make you reflect, and songs that make you change your way of living or thinking. It’s powerful. That’s been the most amazing thing to me. So whenever I write a song, I ask myself—“Will this change somebody’s mind? Will it make someone feel, live, or shift their mindset?” If I can write something that touches someone somehow and get a response, I know my writing is not in vain. I know it came from within.

And another thing—writing and singing, that’s a gift from God. It’s a gift. Many people can sing, but they can’t write. A lot can write, but they can’t sing. Some can play an instrument but not sing. And some can do both. It’s a divine gift.

So it’s a gift, man. And you have to seek God to know your gift. Everybody has a gift—it may not be in music, but God gave everyone a gift. You must seek Him and use that gift to your knowledge and ability.

I tell people all the time—I talk about basketball. Everybody debates MJ, LeBron, Kobe, and all of them. But I look at each one of those players as having a different gift. Each one has a unique gift.

Jacobsen: That brings us to the topic of gifts—that’s a big subject. It can branch off in many directions. One important aspect you mentioned earlier is being able to write, sing, play an instrument–and even overcome stage fright. That’s a huge part of it, too.

Even if your famed father is stopping you mid-song in church—what do those gifts mean to you? What do you attribute them to? You touched on it earlier, but I’d like to hear more. And what about being in a family where siblings and others work together with those integrated gifts?

Doug Williams: Actually, we believe the gift comes from God. God gave us the ability to do what we do. Even as children, we started writing songs and singing—it was a God-given talent, a God-given gift. And we don’t take it lightly or for granted because many people wish they could do what we do.

Many people would love to be able to sing, write, and produce music. So, we truly give God all the honour and praise for the gifts He’s given us.

Of course, there’s some sibling rivalry. That’s part of it. We’ve had that happen along the way. As a family, we don’t always agree, and we don’t always get along the way we probably should. But at the end of the day, we’re still family. We love each other. We’re always going to come back together and make it work.

Doug Williams: Melvin and I have had knock-down, drag-out disagreements. But you have to have that competition, man. You need that.

Melvin Williams: Absolutely. But it’s good competition. It helps sharpen you. It makes you better in the long run. That’s what it’s all about.

Jacobsen: Now, let’s talk about legacy. For example, I’ve worked in the equestrian industry with a family with a long business and equine legacy—one well-known, at least within British Columbia, maybe even across Canada.

So, for yourselves, coming from a rich musical tradition, how do you honour that legacy properly? How do you defend it when it needs defending? How do you integrate it into culture, such as by preserving it in museums or other public-facing ways?

Doug Williams: It goes back to what we said earlier about gifts. When God gives you a gift and blesses you to succeed, you have a responsibility to stand firm—especially with the changes happening in the music, radio, and television industry.

If you’ve been blessed, God has opened doors for that gift, and you’ve seen success, then you’ve got to stand up for it. You must protect the legacy, represent it well, and ensure it continues forward.

Melvin Williams: You have to believe in yourself and your gift. The industry cannot try to change your gift, especially when that gift was given to you by God.

Protecting that gift means staying true to what you’ve been called to do. If your music, songs, or whatever you’re doing in the gospel industry has been effective, you protect it by not changing just because everything else around you changes. That’s how you stay authentic. That’s how your talent and your gift stand out.

If you look at the Jackson Southernaires from the time they started, their style, their music, their writing—the success they had through the years—they didn’t change. They remained the Jackson Southernaires. That’s what Huey did, and that’s what we do.

That’s what makes an artist a true artist. That’s what makes a legacy so powerful in the industry. You don’t need to change when God gives you something unique. You have to be who you are.

Look at artists like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Aretha Franklin—they were always themselves. Their music and voices didn’t try to change to be like someone else. As I said earlier, Huey’s voice was authentic. It was different. You don’t have to try to be anybody else when you have a real gift like that.

And I’ve always put Huey in that category, just as any other iconic artist. You do what you do when you’ve got that kind of gift—authentic vocals, the ability to write.

We stay grounded. We make it do what it does.

Doug Williams: What’s very important to me when it comes to legacy is that, as we continue doing what we’re doing, we’re careful not to do anything that would discredit or embarrass the family legacy. We want to be upstanding. We want to carry ourselves professionally, with integrity and dignity.

We never want to do anything that would tarnish the Williams family or the Jackson Southernaires’ legacy. As we carry on, we’re holding that torch high. We want to ensure we honour everything built over a lifetime and not bring anything negative to it.

Jacobsen: Can you speak to any recent performances, albums, or singles from the Williams Brothers that are particularly noteworthy?

Doug Williams: From the Williams Brothers? Yes, absolutely. We’ve had some great songs God gave us—and they’ve done well.

Melvin wrote a song called “Cooling Water,” which he performed with Lee Williams of the Spiritual QCs. That was a huge song. Then there’s “I’m Just a Nobody,” “Sweep Around Your Front Door,” “I’m Still Here,” and “Living Testimony,” big songs that have powerfully impacted people’s lives over the course of our careers.

And I’m truly grateful and humbled by that. God gave us a talent that can reach people where they are and positively touch their lives—well, that’s everything. Through our music ministry, people have been blessed, healed, set free, and delivered. That’s what it’s really about, man. 

Doug Williams: So those are just some of the songs. There are so many more, but those are a few that have been a blessing—to the Williams Brothers and fans worldwide.

Jacobsen: What about the perception of change over time? Some say the only thing that ever changes is the weather. How much has traditional gospel music stayed true to its roots—and how much has it not?

Doug Williams: Mostly, traditional gospel music has stayed in its place and kept to its roots. Sure, there have been artists who’ve tried to redefine or present it differently, and the radio and music industry have tried to label it in different ways, but traditional gospel is still traditional.

You can’t make contemporary music traditional—and you can’t make traditional music into something contemporary. It’s like trying to mix oil and water. It just doesn’t work.

Here’s a good example: if someone sings a song that’s called traditional gospel, but then someone else gets up and sings true traditional gospel music right after them, you’ll hear the difference instantly. It’s like night and day.

So, I think traditional gospel music exists in a category all its own. It’s defined. It hasn’t changed. The industry has tried to shift things—TV shows, charts, and even Billboard—but ultimately, it’s authentic. It’s legendary.

You can’t make Mahalia Jackson’s music into the same thing as, say, a gospel track by Beyoncé or CeCe Winans. It’s just different. Both have their place—but the traditional gospel is the traditional gospel. I’ll always keep that music in its category.

There’s still an audience out there who grew up listening to that kind of music. And I’m one who’s committed to keeping traditional gospel music going, to keeping it alive.

Jacobsen: My sense of the Southern United States—and I say this as a foreigner, as a Canadian—is that the language people speak is unadorned, descriptive, and concrete. You hear words like “tin can,” “brick house,” “wood fireplace.” They’re straightforward and tangible—like in Richard Pryor’s Mudbone sketches, where he’d say, “See, I lived through hard times before, people talkin’ ’bout, ‘These are hard times.’ Hard times were way back. They didn’t even have a year for it; just called it ‘Hard Times.'” 

That kind of speech is clear; you can read the words and know exactly what someone means. But when you hear it—when someone says “brick,” “guitar,” or “gospel”—you don’t just understand it; you almost feel it in a sensory way. How would you describe that kind of concrete, heartfelt language layered into gospel themes, performances, and presence—especially in the context of a church or a performance venue?

Doug Williams: You said it—it’s very concrete. The language, the music, the delivery—it’s all very descriptive, and it’s heartfelt. It’s hard to do this—do gospel music—and not be sincere about it.

That sincerity comes through whether you’re on a big stage in a coliseum or arena or standing in a small country church. That authentic feeling always comes across, and your audience can sense it. They feel it. They can feed off the energy, emotion, and truth in it.

It’s country, yes—but it’s also real. And that’s what makes it resonate. It’s something that’s very, very real. There’s nothing fake about it. Nothing phony. It’s not Hollywood. It’s not Showtime at the Apollo or anything like that. It comes from the depths of your soul, and you’re pouring it out with everything you have—just so you can reach the hearts, souls, and minds of the people there, hearing what you’re delivering. That’s what it’s all about.

Jacobsen: Within theology, a major theme is purpose—people discover purpose in their lives and then live it out. So, for yourselves, how do you see your music and your ministry as a way of giving yourselves to others and living with purpose? How does that shape how you see your lives?

Doug Williams: Go ahead, Melvin. I know you’ve got your thoughts.

Melvin Williams: All right. When we were coming up, we were young. We wanted to sing. We wanted to be out there. We looked up to our big brothers—we were following behind them. But somewhere along the way, we realized that God had given us this gift, and with it came a purpose.

From that point on, everything changed. Our perspective shifted. We stopped seeing singing as something to do for attention or applause. We saw it as a ministry. We realized that we weren’t just out there to be entertainers but to change lives through our ministry and music.

So we began seeing what we did as both a ministry and, yes, a business—but the ministry came first. As we travelled, we could see that our songs were touching people. That realization lifted everything to a whole new level—a new dimension. It became more than just performance. It was calling. For me, the moment I truly understood that my gift was from God—that it had a purpose—that changed the entire direction of my career.

Doug Williams: There’s definitely a purpose in it. When people hear our songs—whether on the radio, streaming online, or wherever—and that song touches them meaningfully, they have fulfilled a purpose in their lives.

When we perform in a town, and someone buys a ticket with their hard-earned money to hear us live, they’re not just showing up for fun. They’re coming with a purpose. They’re hoping to receive something—to be uplifted, inspired, or moved spiritually.

And we understand that. So we also come with a purpose—to give them our best. To give them what God has given us. And to share that with sincerity, excellence, and love.

And that’s part of the purpose—to create an atmosphere of hope and uplift the spirits of those feeling down. Many people are going through difficult times. We’re living in a season where there’s just so much going on—politically, socially—there’s much negativity out there.

Melvin Williams: Yes. There’s so much hatred, bigotry, division—people are surrounded by it every day. And what they’re looking for is something positive. Something to lift them spiritually. Something to give them hope.

Doug Williams: Exactly. Gospel music has a way of doing that. That’s the purpose behind it—giving people hope. Giving them something they can hold on to. Letting them know that God is still in charge and there is hope.

Never give up. Never give in. Never give out. Keep pressing. Keep fighting. Because at the end of the day, something good can come out of your struggle. That’s the hope—and that’s the purpose.

Jacobsen: What innovations in music—streaming, for instance—have been acceptable in keeping the core of gospel music alive without diluting its purpose?

Melvin Williams: It’s hard. Honestly, it’s been diluted.

Doug Williams: Back in the day, when we started, it was all vinyl—vinyl records, 45s, AM and FM radio. Everything had a certain purity to it. It felt more real. The process, the sound, and the way people connected to music differed. Of course, we moved on to CDs, which were very good for a long time. But now, CDs are almost nonexistent. We’ve moved on to digital—streaming and downloading.

And sure, the good part is that many young people can access music instantly from their phones. They can stream and download anything they want. That’s a great thing. But the negative side is that many older people—especially those who love gospel music—aren’t as tech-savvy. They don’t always know how to download or stream. So it’s become harder for them to access the music they love. There are pros and cons. That’s just how I see it.

Jacobsen: How much do you prepare before a performance?

Melvin Williams: For me, it depends. It depends on how my vocals are feeling at the time. But I get as much rest as I can before a concert. And I have a few things I do vocally to help warm up. I’ll use ginger mints, honey, tea—that kind of thing. I also do some vocal exercises to open things up a bit. But I usually do all of that quietly before we go on stage. But sometimes, you have to jump into it on the spot. If you’re at a concert or an event and someone calls you up unexpectedly, you’ve just got to go for it. You’ve got to be ready.

Jacobsen: Doug, how about you?

Doug Williams: You must also be mentally prepared before you go on stage. There’s a lot of pressure—especially when three, four, five thousand people sit in the audience. When you walk out, you feel that pressure because you want to give them your best. And sometimes, your voice might not be exactly where it needs to be.

So yes, it’s a mental as well as a spiritual one. I always try to find a quiet space to get by myself before we go on stage. I pray. I test my voice a little bit. I try to get myself mentally prepared for anything because not everything goes smoothly on stage.

That’s true. Some crazy stuff can happen. I remember we were on stage in Chicago once, and one of the big stage lights fell behind us. It hit the floor and shattered. Smoke went everywhere, right in the middle of our concert. And another time, in Atlanta, the amplifier caught on fire. 

Melvin Williams: Back then, those amps had tubes, and it was wild when they overheated—man. Things like that remind you that you’ve got to be mentally prepared for anything.

For me, another thing I like to do is go and look at the audience from the side of the stage before we go on. To get a feel for the room, see how big the stage is, check out the musicians, and look at the crowd. That helps calm the nerves.

Doug Williams: Yeah, and the thing is—it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing this. You always have a little bit of nervousness before going on stage. It’s just part of it. I’ve heard many artists say the same thing. We’ve been doing this for over sixty years, and every time—right before we go on stage—there’s a little bit of anxiety and nervousness. Just before you hit the stage.

It usually goes away once you get out there and get the microphone in your hand. But before that moment, there’s that nervous energy because you want to make sure everything is right so badly. Once you start singing, it disappears. But right before you go out, you feel those jitters—that little stuff going on inside your stomach, your nervous system. It’s real.

Jacobsen: Has anyone ever made you feel starstruck?

Doug Williams: Of course. 

Melvin Williams: Of course, man.

Doug Williams: Yes. We had the opportunity to record with Stevie Wonder. He visited our studio in Jackson and spent two or three days with us. We were in awe.

Just being in the studio with Stevie and watching him work was unbelievable. Here’s a man who’s blind, and yet he was doing everything on the keyboard, handling the whole session. We were watching him in the hotel room. He had set up everything in his suite. He laid down all the music tracks for the song we were recording.

He played everything. Every instrument you hear on that track, that’s him. And most of it was done right there in the hotel room. It was like magic—just sitting there watching him put the whole thing together. Yes, we were completely starstruck. Hanging with Stevie? That was amazing.

Melvin Williams: Another one is being on stage and doing concerts with Aretha Franklin. Oh my God.

Doug Williams: Unbelievable. YShe’s the one who invited us to perform at the White House with her. That’s how we sang at the White House. Aretha called and said, “I’m getting ready to go sing for the President,”—which was President Barack Obama at the time—” and I asked my brother Bill if you all could come sing with me.” We asked, “Do you even have to ask that question?” We said, “The answer is YES.”

Melvin Williams: Oh man, it was. And I remember another time—this was another unforgettable moment—when we were nominated for our Still Here album at the Soul Train Awards. We were leaving the limousine, walking the red carpet. There were interviewers and radio folks lined up—John Salley was one of them—asking questions about the nomination. Beyoncé’s group was right ahead of us on the carpet.

We were in awe when Destiny’s Child was ahead of us on the red carpet. Starstruck. Then I turned around—and Angela Bassett was right behind us. I was like, “Oh my God.” She’s one of my all-time favourite actresses. I had no idea she had left the limousine and was walking the red carpet behind the Williams Brothers. I turned around and looked right at her. I don’t even remember if I spoke. I was that starstruck. I was thinking, “Angela Bassett is behind us, man!”

Melvin Williams: Yes—and Toni Braxton was there too.

Doug Williams: Yes! Toni Braxton, for sure.

Melvin Williams: It was wild. Crazy. We’ve been starstruck a few times over the years, no doubt about it.

Jacobsen: What about the reverse? Do any moments stand out to you—when someone else told you that a particular song or album impacted their life?

Doug Williams: We’ve had a lot of those. I’ll give you a few. Johnny Gill—a member of New Edition—called me just yesterday, and we had a long conversation. Our music has touched his life over the years. He’s been a huge fan of the Williams Brothers. He even asked us to come and sing at his mother’s funeral service in D.C. That meant a lot. And then Snoop Dogg—he’s a big fan of the Williams Brothers, too. He and his mother both loved the song “Cooling Water.” That’s one of his favourites. “I’m Just a Nobody,” “Pray for Me.” He’s really into it.

He even invited us to sing at both his mother’s and brother’s. So we’ve had the opportunity to touch the lives of many well-known people. And when someone comes up and tells you, “This song blessed me,” it means so much. It reminds us that what we’re doing is not in vain. Not only are we reaching people in the gospel realm, but we’re also reaching people outside of it—in the secular world.

Melvin Williams: Yes. It’s amazing. And Doug, do you remember that time at the Grammys? We were sitting right in front of Smokey Robinson.

Doug Williams: Yes! He was sitting right behind us.

Melvin Williams: He leaned forward and said, “Man, the Williams Brothers—I love you guys’ music. I love you all, man.”And we were like, “Oh my God, that’s Smokey!“

Doug Williams: Another story—we were in Macon, Georgia. We had just performed there and checked into the hotel. We were hanging around the lobby, just relaxing for a bit. Then, this long, white limousine pulled up, and we asked, “Who’s that?” Out steps James Brown. He entered the lobby and said, “Williams Brothers! Williams Brothers! This is a badgroup. This right here is the group, you all!” He was telling everybody in the lobby. And then he started singing! Right there in the hotel lobby. Yes! People gathered around, watching James Brown sing with the Williams Brothers in the hotel lobby. It was incredible.

Jacobsen: That’s a James Brown story we’ll never forget. It was so much fun.

Doug Williams: But having that opportunity to sing in the hotel lobby with James Brown was wild. But it was fun. 

Melvin Williams: Oh man, yes. And he was a big Williams Brothers fan. He was. He loved gospel music. So did Al Green, man.

Doug Williams: No doubt. He was a big fan, too.

Jacobsen: What are you looking forward to regarding the evolution of gospel music, especially in terms of how it can keep its roots while still growing? This is a broad question, but it’s relevant for cultural preservation while acknowledging that cultures evolve.

Doug Williams: Yes. It’s a fine line you have to walk. You want to maintain the authenticity of gospel music, but you also have to recognize that the whole genre is changing. The culture is changing.

So, you have to walk that line. You want your music to stay relevant. You want your presence—your presentation—to remain relevant. But you don’t want to lose the heart of what gospel music is really about.

It’s very important that we hold on to the roots—to where we came from. That’s where the realness comes from. That’s what it’s all about. But at the same time, the world is evolving. Music is evolving.

And we don’t want to get lost in that evolution or left behind. So even though our music is still traditional gospel, we keep it fresh. Sometimes, we put a little edge on it—adjust the production, tweak the arrangement—to stay current with today’s sound. The production has to be current. The sound has to feel fresh. But the base—the foundation—you don’t lose that.

It’s like making a good gumbo, as they say in New Orleans. You’ve got to mix it all just right—keep the richness of what you had, but bring in something new to attract new listeners. You want to keep your long-time fans and gain new ones.

Melvin Williams: And you’ve got to be true to yourself. True to your gift. True to what God has done for you and the path He’s put you on. That’s what made you the artist you are today—even with all the new labels, companies, and technology.

And remember, for many of the younger audience today, what we’re doing might be brand new to them. Because they’ve never heard it before. They don’t. So when younger people hear a song like Cooling Water or Still Here, they’re like, “Wow, this sounds good.” They feel it—but they don’t always know the significance of where it came from. But it’s authentic, real music—like the blues.

And there’s only so far you can go with the blues before losing authenticity and realness. The same thing goes for traditional gospel music. It is the same for soul music and R&B. Those genres have lasted for generations—because they’re authentic. They’re real. People can feel it. And it doesn’t change.

If you put on something by Louis Armstrong—”What a Wonderful World”—that’s timeless. That song will never change. It’s a classic. And gospel music has anthems just like that. So does blues. So does the soul. So does R&B. You can’t get around what we’ve done—or what the Jackson Southernaires have done—because it’s history. It’s already made. And it was good. To me, what was good then is still good now.

I still listen to Motown. Philadelphia International. That sound. That music. That feeling.

Doug Williams: And you can tell it’s still good because so many young and new artists today are sampling old music. They’re either doing a remake or sampling it. That tells you—it’s still relevant. It’s still powerful.

Jacobsen: We’ve got one minute left. Let’s end with a quick round of favourite quotes. Go.

Doug Williams: My favourite quote has always been from my dad: “Always treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Melvin Williams: That’s my favourite, too. I can say ditto on that one.

Jacobsen: All right, everyone. Thank you very much for your time today. It was lovely to meet you both.

Melvin Williams: I appreciate you, man.

Doug Williams: Thanks so much, Scott. Thanks for having us.

Melvin Williams: Yes, man. We appreciate it.

Jacobsen: Cheers. Take care.

Doug Williams: All right.

Melvin Williams: Bye-bye!

Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.