Jerry Williams Jr. [81 years old as of April 20241, and still alive and active] – known in the music world by the pseudonym “Swamp Dogg” – is an African-American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and former record company “A&R man”, and, in the words of allmusic.com Senior Editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine, “is one of the great cult figures of American music”2.
Jerry Williams was born on July 12, 1942, in Portsmouth, Virginia3, on “the only Black block of Duke Street”4. His father, a chief petty officer in the navy5, and his mother, Vera Lee, were both musicians6, and, as a child, Williams would sit in nightclubs watching his mother rehearse7.
In 1954, at the age of 12, Williams recorded his first song, “HTD Blues (Hardsick Troublesome Downout Blues)”, with help from his parents and an uncle8. At around that age, Williams was often hired to play music at private parties9. Throughout his teenage years, Williams took bus trips to New York City to meet individuals involved in the music business10.
From 1960 on Williams released singles on several labels, and wrote songs for other musicians.11
Williams’ first big success in the music industry came in 1966, with the release of a record called “Baby You’re My Everything” on the Calla record label; the song peaked at #32 on the R&B singles chart12.
After releasing several more single records with little success, in 1967 Williams began working in A&R (Artists and Repertoire)13 for the Musicor record label in New York, but by 1968 he had been recruited to work as a record producer at major label Atlantic Records14.
After a “psychedelic” experience in 1969 – the result of consuming punch at a party that had been dosed with LSD15 – Jerry Willliams adopted the name “Swamp Dogg” and began a new phase of his music career. (Williams explained the adoption of his new identity this way: “I became Swamp Dogg in 1970 in order to have an alter-ego and someone to occupy the body while the search party was out looking for Jerry Williams, who was mentally missing in action due to certain pressures, mal-treatments and failure to get paid royalties on over 50 single records…”16)
In 1970, under the name Swamp Dogg, Williams [referred to hereafter as “Swamp Dogg”] recorded and released an album with the title “Total Destruction to Your Mind”. Swamp Dogg’s songs on this record – perhaps influenced by his drug experience – now reflected influences from the musical satire of Frank Zappa and the politics of the era, while, as Stephen Thomas Erlewine notes, “All of Williams’ studio skills are on display on “Total Destruction” – the grooves are tight, not sloppy, the songs precisely written…”17. “Total Destruction to Your Mind” remained a cult album for many years, but eventually reached gold record status, and was re-released in 201318. The album has been praised by noted rock music critic Robert Christgau: “Soul-seekers like myself are moderately mad for the obscure “Total Destruction to Your Mind…”19.
One interesting aspect of Swamp Dogg’s life in the early 1970s is that, possibly because of an association he had at the time with Jane Fonda, and because he released a song titled “God Bless America For What”, he earned a spot on President Richard Nixon’s infamous “enemies list”20.
Over the next several decades Swamp Dogg continued to record and release a number of albums in different styles of music. In 2018 he released a record, “Love, Loss and Auto-Tune”, co-produced by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, which saw Swamp Dogg experimenting with synthesizers and the aforementioned Auto-Tune vocal processing21.
In 2020, Swamp Dogg released a country music-style album called “Sorry You Couldn’t Make It”, which featured contributions from well-known musicians Justin Vernon, John Prine and Jenny Lewis22. The album contains two duets with Prine, “Memories” and “Please Let Me Go Round Again”, which constituted Prine’s last recording session before he died of complications from COVID-19 on April 7, 2020, in the early days of the COVID pandemic23.
(Of his familiarity with and comfort in singing country music, Swamp Dogg has stated, “I was raised up on country music down in Portsmouth, Virginia…It was laid out for us on the main station there, WLOW…We soon learned that country and R&B were basically alike with the exception of who happened to be singing it at the time.”24)
In his 80s as of this writing (April 2024), Swamp Dogg seems to be undergoing a career renaissance. He has a new album, “Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th Street”, due out in May 2024, and 2024 has also seen the release of a film documentary about his life, “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted”, which had its world premiere at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas on March 10, 202425.
Sources:
1. Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1920 [database on-line]. “Jerry Williams”.
2. Allmusic.com, “Allmusic - Swamp Dogg – Biography”.
3. Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1920 [database on-line]. “Jerry Williams”.
4. VICE, March 6, 2020, P. ?, “How Jerry Williams Became Swamp Dogg, the Unsung King of Soul Music”.
5. The Independent (London, United Kingdom), March 18, 2021, P. ?. “’Thanks for giving a s***’: Celebrating Swamp Dogg, a psychedelic soul original”.
6. VICE, March 6, 2020, P. ?, “How Jerry Williams Became Swamp Dogg, the Unsung King of Soul Music”.
7. The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), January 12, 2020, Page 1E. “The Original D-O-double-G … is from Portsmouth”.
8. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg. “Swamp Dogg”.
9. Ibid.
10. VICE, March 6, 2020, , P. ?, “How Jerry Williams Became Swamp Dogg, the Unsung King of Soul Music”.
11. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg. “Swamp Dogg”.
12. Ibid.
13. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artists_and_repertoire. “Artists and repertoire”.
14. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg. “Swamp Dogg”.
15. VICE, March 6, 2020, P. ?, “How Jerry Williams Became Swamp Dogg, the Unsung King of Soul Music”.
16. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg. “Swamp Dogg”.
17. Allmusic.com, “Allmusic - Swamp Dogg – Biography”.
18. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg. “Swamp Dogg”.
19. Christgau, Robert, “Swamp Dogg: Consumer Guide Reviews”.
20. Los Angeles Magazine, July 26, 2013, P. ?. “The Most Successful Failure in the U.S. Rides a Giant Albino Rat: Meet Swamp Dogg”.
21. VICE, March 6, 2020, P. ?, “How Jerry Williams Became Swamp Dogg, the Unsung King of Soul Music”.
22. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg. “Swamp Dogg”.
23. Grammy Awards [Web site], September 9, 2020. “Jerry Williams Is Swamp Dogg”.
24. American Songwriter, [2000?], P. ?. “Swamp Dogg Embraces Personal Duality, Goes Country With ‘Sorry You Couldn’t Make It’”.
25. The Austin Chronicle, March 9, 2024, P. ?. “SXSW Film Review: Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted: An endearing portrait of the R&B/country.etc. musician”.
Full Name: Jerry Williams Jr.
Also Known as: “Swamp Dogg”; Little Jerry; Little Jerry Williams
Birth Date: July 12, 1942
Birthplace: Portsmouth, Virginia
Parents: Jerry Williams; Vera Lee Williams
Ethnicity:
Race: African-American
Spouse: Yvonne Williams
Children: Dr. Jeri Williams
Marriage Date:
Marriage Place:
Death Date: [living, as of April 2024]
Death Place:
Burial Date:
Burial Place:
Major Keywords/Search Terms:
Williams, Jerry; Williams, Jerry, Jr.; Swamp Dogg; Little Jerry; Little Jerry Williams
City Directories:
1942 Norfolk & Portsmouth City Directory. Hill Directory Company. Page 1528 [listing for his parents].
2) Documents and Collections:
Censuses:
Ancestry.com. 1950 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1702324:9277?_phcmd=u(%27https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/?name=jerry_williams&event=_portsmouth-virginia-usa_24287&birth=1942&location=2&priority=usa&successSource=Search&queryId=9cf80296-5466-4449-ada0-6e501e255358%27,%27successSource%27).
Vital Records:
Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1920 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/112252871:62308?_phcmd=u(%27https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/?name=jerry_williams&event=_portsmouth-virginia-usa_24287&birth=1942&location=2&priority=usa&successSource=Search&queryId=707f1815-4e2a-446c-8e31-7d51d8f2c813%27,%27successSource%27).
Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016 [database on-line]. (1960 I.C. Norcom High School yearbook). Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/443305516:1265.
Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016 [database on-line]. (1961 I.C. Norcom High School yearbook). Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1363192585:1265?_phcmd=u(%27https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/categories/dir_school/?name=jerry_williams&birth=1942&residence=_portsmouth-virginia-usa_24287&successSource=Search&queryId=2cc77c60-5e7f-4d9a-9e8c-cfa7c61f54c7%27,%27successSource%27)
3) Newspapers/Magazines/Journals:
Alonso, Andrea, “The Most Successful Failure in the U.S. Rides a Giant Albino Rat: Meet Swamp Dogg”, Los Angeles Magazine, July 26, 2013, P. ?. https://lamag.com/news/the-most-successful-failure-in-the-us-rides-a-giant-albino-rat-meet-swamp-dogg.
Applebach, Chuck, “Siren: A Sound Totally Alien to the Isles”, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia). April 3, 1971, P. 4.
Fienberg, Daniel, “’Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted’ Review: A Cult Musician Gets a Fittingly Warm and Quirky Documentary”, The Hollywood Reporter, March 12, 2024, P. ?. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/swamp-dogg-gets-his-pool-painted-review-1235847189/.
Gross, Joe, “SXSW Film Review: Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted: An endearing portrait of the R&B/country.etc. musician”, The Austin Chronicle, March 9, 2024, P. ?. https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2024-03-09/sxsw-film-review-swamp-dogg-gets-his-pool-painted/.
Himes, Geoffrey, “Swamp Dogg Embraces Personal Duality, Goes Country With ‘Sorry You Couldn’t Make It’”, American Songwriter, [2000?], P. ?. https://americansongwriter.com/swamp-dogg-embraces-personal-duality-goes-country-with-sorry-you-couldnt-make-it/.
O’Connor, Roisin, “’Thanks for giving a s***’: Celebrating Swamp Dogg, a psychedelic soul original”, The Independent (London, United Kingdom), March 18, 2021, P. ?. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/swamp-dogg-interview-rat-on-anniversary-bon-iver-b1818956.html.
Poulter, Amy, “The Original D-O-double-G … is from Portsmouth”, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia). [online: NewsBank], January 12, 2020, Page 1E.
Schwartz, Drew, “How Jerry Williams Became Swamp Dogg, the Unsung King of Soul Music”, VICE, March 6, 2020, P. ?. https://www.vice.com/en/article/akwykz/how-jerry-williams-became-swamp-dogg-the-unsung-king-of-soul-music-profile.
4) Photographs:
Getty Images: "Swamp Dogg" under Editorial
5) Sound and Video Recordings:
Swamp Dogg, Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th Street, Oh Boy, 2024.
Swamp Dogg, I Need a Job…So I Can Buy More Auto-Tune, Don Giovanni, 2022.
Swamp Dogg, Sorry You Couldn’t Make It, Joyful Noise, 2020.
Swamp Dogg, The White Man Made Me Do It, Alive Records / Burnside / SDEG, 2015.
Swamp Dogg, Gag a Maggot, Alive Records, 1973.
Swamp Dogg, Rat On!, Alive Naturalsound Records, 1971.
Swamp Dogg, Total Destruction to Your Mind, Alive Naturalsound Records, 1970.
6) Websites:
Christgau, Robert. “Swamp Dogg: Consumer Guide Reviews”. https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Swamp+Dogg.
Enos, Morgan. “Living Legends: Seven Decades Into His Career, Swamp Dogg Wants To Give Audiences “Every Last Drop””. Grammy Awards [Web site], July 27, 2023. https://www.grammy.com/news/a-living-legends-interview-with-swamp-dogg.
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. “Allmusic - Swamp Dogg – Biography”. Allmusic [Web site]. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swamp-dogg-mn0000754375/biography.
Hart, Ron. “Jerry Williams Is Swamp Dogg”. Grammy Awards [Web site], September 9, 2020. https://www.grammy.com/news/jerry-williams-swamp-dogg.
“Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams”. [personal Web page]. https://www.theswampdogg.com.
“Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams”. [video interview]. National Association of Music Merchants. https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/jerry-swamp-dogg-williams.
“Swamp Dogg”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Dogg.
“Swamp Dogg: Bio”. [record company Web page]. https://fatpossum.com/collections/swamp-dogg.
Zuppardo, Scott. “Swamp Dogg Returns With Joyful Noise on ‘Sorry You Couldn’t Make It’”. PopMatters [online magazine], March 10, 2020. https://www.popmatters.com/swamp-dogg-sorry-you-couldnt-2645421646.html.