(orchestral music) ♪ I'll be with my baby tonight, I'll be with my baby tonight ♪ ♪ I'll take my baby down low, said she never had a man ♪ ♪ When she's gone in my time, mama ♪ (blues guitar music) (mumbles) (blues guitar music) ♪ I'll be your dog, I'll be your dog ♪ ♪ Well, I'll be your dog, I get you way down here ♪ ♪ Get you all below ♪ Don't leave me here ♪ Don't leave me here (blues guitar music) ♪ Another man has gone ♪ Another man has gone ♪ Another man done gone, left his tiny form ♪ ♪ With the shackles on, oh me ♪ ♪ Hey - [Narrator] "Baby, Please Don't Go," the best known song of the legendary blues guitar musician Joe Lee Williams, better known as Big Joe Williams.

It's a name known all over the world, synonymous with the hard-driving music he had such a large part in creating, the Blues.

♪ Oh, when I first started traveling ♪ ♪ Boy, take you down to be my home ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Yeah, first started traveling ♪ ♪ Take the Mississippi Delta to be my home ♪ - [Narrator] In December of 1982, Big Joe died.

He had been seemingly a permanent fixture in blues guitar music, one of the greats.

His life and music span generations and he left a legacy for generations to come.

♪ Ain't gonna worry you no more ♪ ♪ Well I dreamt that dream when they told me ♪ ♪ Your baby, don't live here no more ♪ ♪ I left my dear mother, ♪ Lord it mean, don't be crying ♪ ♪ What she say, Big Joe ♪ I left my dear mother ♪ Whoa boy, she told me, son ♪ ♪ She said don't worry son, you gotta home ♪ ♪ Just as long as I got mine - [Narrator] Big Joe was known for his unique nine-string guitar, created, he said, to keep others from being able to play his songs.

A professional bluesman for more than 50 years, he was born in Crawford, Mississippi in 1903, one of 16 children.

He made his first rough guitar when he was five, and by his teens, he was writing the blues.

Big Joe decided that he wouldn't be trapped in the fields.

Music would be his passport out.

♪ I cried, mm ♪ Oh Big Joe do is weep and moan ♪ ♪ I went way down to the Delta looking for my baby ♪ ♪ That girl done been and gone ♪ ♪ Play it good, boy - [Narrator] Drifting around the South during the 1920s, Big Joe played work camps and juke joints.

He wound up in Alabama, where he played at the Rabbit Foot Minstrels with a young singer named Ethel Waters.

He made recordings during the '30s and '40s, frequently performing in St. Louis.

Big Joe was part of the blues revival during the '60s, and after that, everybody knew the blues would live forever.

- Way down in the Delta, where I belong.

(audience cheers and applauds) - [Narrator] Big Joe had traveled all around America and Europe, exporting his music that came from the back porches and honky tonks of Mississippi, but when Big Joe played at home, there was nothing like it.

One of his last and some say his greatest performances was at the Delta Blues Festival near Greenville, Mississippi.

As they said, the blues is an institution and Big Joe was a major professor.

Big Joe Williams, one more time.

- Good evening, everybody.

(blues guitar music) ♪ Can I tell you ♪ Do you another bet ♪ Tell me, how do you do ♪ Oh, you can't, missed him in ♪ When I came out the well with you ♪ ♪ Every morning, every morning ♪ ♪ Baby from 9:00 to 10:00 ♪ Yeah, every morning, every morning ♪ ♪ Baby from 9:00 to 10:00 ♪ Every time I see sonny boy ♪ Got his feet on my table again ♪ ♪ Yay (blues guitar music) ♪ Every day, every day, if you can't visit on my table ♪ ♪ Every day, every day, if you can't visit on my table ♪ ♪ You can invite all your friends ♪ ♪ All your next door neighbors ♪ Play it, boy (blues guitar music) (audience cheers and applauds) Yeah, yes sir.

Here is another one.

(blues guitar music) ♪ Yeah, tell me baby ♪ Who had been here and why they go ♪ ♪ Yeah, tell me mama ♪ Who has been here, why he go ♪ ♪ Yeah, when I came home this morning ♪ ♪ Who went out my backdoor?

♪ ♪ I saw something this morning baby ♪ ♪ Never seen before, he broke down my bed ♪ ♪ I'm tellin' ya, oh, my dog it pulled ♪ ♪ Tell me mama, who had been here and why'd he go ♪ ♪ Yeah, when I came home this morning, babe ♪ ♪ Who went out my backdoor?

♪ Well, he came out running ♪ Shoes in his hand ♪ He didn't look like nothing ♪ Didn't look like a natural man ♪ ♪ Tell me who he be ♪ Who been here and why'd he go ♪ ♪ Well, when I came home this morning ♪ ♪ Well, he went out my backdoor ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Well it may be funny, baby ♪ ♪ It may just as funny as can be ♪ ♪ Yeah, but how many babies ♪ ♪ Y'all better look like me ♪ Tell me where ♪ Who been here, why he go ♪ I came home, someone out my backdoor ♪ Yeah (mumbles).

(audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ Hello little school girl ♪ Can I go home, babe ♪ Can I go home with you ♪ Tell your mother and tell your father ♪ ♪ I'm a little school boy, too ♪ Yes, be my baby ♪ I brought you a diamond ♪ Brought you diamond ring (blues guitar music) ♪ If you don't be my little old woman ♪ ♪ I'll buy you a dog one day - All right!

(audience cheers and applauds) - Thank you, thank you.

(audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ Tailor made woman ♪ Tailor made babe ♪ Don't you wish your woman was tailor made like mine ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ I'm going to the river, swing out on the ledge ♪ ♪ Going down to the river, swing out on the ledge ♪ ♪ My baby must have sink or swim ♪ ♪ Tailor made, tailor made, yeah ♪ ♪ Tailor made, tailor made baby ♪ ♪ And don't you wish your woman was tailor made like mine ♪ ♪ There you go (blues guitar music) ♪ Well she live and she love ♪ She built up from the ground ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Well she livess, she loves ♪ She built up from the ground ♪ Every time she walks ♪ She made my love come down ♪ Tailor made, yeah ♪ Tailor made babe ♪ Tailor made, tailor made babe ♪ ♪ Don't you wish your woman was tailor made like mine ♪ (blues guitar music) (audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ Yeah, I went out to the gas station this morning ♪ ♪ Trying to get my gas ticket straight ♪ ♪ Say can't get but three gallons of gas ♪ ♪ Well, you know the Watergate ♪ ♪ Every time I look at my TV ♪ Ain't a thing but Watergate (blues guitar music) ♪ I'll be so glad when President Carter ♪ ♪ Get every doggone thing straight ♪ ♪ Well, it was cold again ♪ I got late ♪ Said no, got Watergate at home, boy ♪ ♪ And I ain't got no one to see ♪ ♪ Every time I look at the TV ♪ Got nothing nothing but Watergate ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ I want everybody to leave President Nixon alone ♪ ♪ And let him leave along to California ♪ ♪ Go back to his ol' mansion home ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪ Let's end that Watergate (blues guitar music) ♪ I'll be so glad, president ♪ Get every doggone thing straight ♪ ♪ Sad, wouldn't you say (audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ Well, my baby left me ♪ Left me the mule to ride ♪ I went the trail up the station ♪ ♪ Mama, you laid down to die (blues guitar music) ♪ I'm gonna send my baby another greenback $20 bill ♪ ♪ I'm gonna send my baby another greenback $20 bill ♪ ♪ That don't bring her back home ♪ ♪ I swear my shotgun will (blues guitar music) ♪ What made my grandpa love my grandma so ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ What made my grandpa love my grandma so ♪ ♪ She got the same jellyroll ♪ That she cooked 40 years ago (blues guitar music) (audience cheers and applauds) Thank you, thank you.

(blues guitar music) ♪ Well, I got a woman in Cuba, boys ♪ ♪ Well, I got a woman way over in Spain ♪ ♪ Well, I got a woman in Cuba, boy ♪ ♪ Well, I got a woman way over in Spain ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Got a woman in London, England ♪ ♪ She love to call everyone name ♪ ♪ Shame, woman ♪ Low down dirty shame (blues guitar music) ♪ Shame, woman ♪ Low down, dirty shame (blues guitar music) ♪ Well, I'm in love with a married woman ♪ ♪ But I'm fair to call my baby's name ♪ ♪ Help me, babe ♪ You don't love me no more ♪ Yeah, baby, hee ♪ You don't love me no more ♪ At least she begin tell me what's going ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ You know you don't want me, woman ♪ ♪ Don't drive me from your door ♪ (blues guitar music) Yes, sir.

(audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ God your plumb, don't look at the other woman ♪ ♪ Hanging up on your tree (blues guitar music) ♪ Baby, got your plumb with me the other day ♪ ♪ Hanging up on your tree (blues guitar music) ♪ Well, don't your house seem lonesome to you baby ♪ ♪ Now pack up and leave (blues guitar music) ♪ Lord, I aint got no woman ♪ Talk, baby, talk to me ♪ Well, I ain't got no woman talk ♪ ♪ Baby, talk to me (blues guitar music) ♪ I'm gonna get me a step ladder ♪ ♪ And climb up on your top limb ♪ ♪ Well, the day's so lovely ♪ Climbing on your top limb (blues guitar music) (audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ Yeah, I need some Vitamin A ♪ ♪ Help me my baby, keep up my pep ♪ ♪ Lord, I need some Vitamin A, man ♪ ♪ Help me, my woman keep up my pep ♪ ♪ Well, the wait is over ♪ Pass me my baby ♪ Lord, we don't a doggone thing but slept ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Lord, she look at me ♪ Said daddy can't be very long ♪ ♪ Yeah, she look at me ♪ Daddy can't be very long ♪ I gotta have some Vitamin A ♪ ♪ Help me, my woman keep my good legs on ♪ ♪ I'm vowed doctor, I've been talking ♪ ♪ All across the sea (blues guitar music) ♪ Yeah, got me doctor, baby ♪ I been docking out toward the sea ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ I'm gonna duck down in St. Louis ♪ ♪ I'm gonna duck down the only road to leave ♪ ♪ One thing about the woman ♪ She don't, never had no pep for me ♪ ♪ One thing about the woman ♪ ♪ She don't, never had no pep for me ♪ (blues guitar music) (audience cheers and applauds) (blues guitar music) ♪ Help me, babe ♪ Don't you know your daddy ain't feelin'' good ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Help me, baby ♪ You know your daddy ain't feeling good ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Some no good man ♪ Done tore up my neighborhood (blues guitar music) ♪ Crying and blaming woman ♪ Lord, I didn't come here to stay ♪ ♪ Crying baby ♪ Lord, I didn't come here to stay ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ She may be your baby ♪ She come and see me some time ♪ ♪ Yeah, she may be your woman ♪ ♪ Yeah, but she come and see me sometime ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ So down I feel, down and be ♪ Lord, I feel like crying ♪ Yeah, you ♪ Lord, I feel like crying (blues guitar music) ♪ Hey (blues guitar music) ♪ Well, the sun go down one more ♪ ♪ That door got kicked in here (blues guitar music) ♪ I got nobody, baby ♪ You don't feel my kind ♪ Play it one time, play it one time ♪ (blues guitar music) (audience cheers and claps) ♪ Hey (blues guitar music) ♪ Well, I wouldn't mind my babe ♪ ♪ My baby done wrong ♪ Yeah (blues guitar music) ♪ I got nobody, woman ♪ Can I move on ♪ Lord, let me go (blues guitar music) ♪ Yeah, yeah, my Lord, get on ♪ ♪ I did go down, down on the Peabody Road ♪ ♪ What you gotta do ♪ I believe I'll go down, down on the Peabody Road ♪ (blues guitar music) ♪ Walk in my baby's door (blues guitar music) (audience cheering and clapping) (blues guitar music) ♪ Take it easy, darling ♪ Got the whole night long (blues guitar music) ♪ Take it easy, baby ♪ Yeah, we got the whole night long ♪ ♪ I ain't got nobody care, my rolling on ♪ ♪ All right, yeah ♪ Get it while it's good (blues guitar music) ♪ I believe my baby got a black shed bowl ♪ ♪ I believe that she got a black shed bowl ♪ (blues guitar music) Hey, thank you!

(audience cheers and applauds) Thank you.

- Big Joe Williams!

- Whoa!

(audience cheers and applauds) Thank you, everyone.

(audience cheers and applauds)