Ulysses Kae Williams

Who was Ulysses Kae Williams?

Ulysses Kae Williams was known as one of the earliest local deejays to play the blues.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, he started in radio around 1945 and worked for numerous area stations, including WSSJ, WDAS, WHAT, and WCAM. At the same time, he worked for the Philadelphia Tribune, from 1945 to 1948 as theatrical and night club critic. Williams managed several local acts, including Lee Andrews & the Hearts, and Solomon Burke. In the mid-1950s, Kae reached what would be eventually the high point of his career, when the group he was managing, The Silhouettes, had a huge pop hit with "Get a Job". The track sold several million copies in the USA and abroad and topped the pop charts. Williams also managed a group called The Sensations, which sold close to a million with the pop tune Let Me In. Kae Williams inspired many youngsters, black and white, to go into radio and music.

His second son, Ulysses Kae, Jr., was a record producer, whose Catch Me I'm Falling by the group Pretty Poison climbed the charts on its release. Williams died on December 29, 1987 in Philadelphia.