Vern Williams

Who was Vern Williams?

Vern Williams is generally accepted as the father of bluegrass music on the West Coast of the United States.

Williams’ public performing career began in California in the late 1950s and continued regularly for almost 40 years, earning a reputation as a uniquely talented, raw and edgy “high lonesome” tenor singer and mandolin player who inspired countless musicians on the West Coast of the United States and well beyond.

Born in Newton County, Arkansas in 1930, Williams began playing music with his family at an early age. He moved to California in 1952 with the Marine Corps and continued to play music, first with his younger brother John Jr., then in a much celebrated partnership with Ray Park beginning in 1959, and lastly beginning in 1974 with his own “Vern Williams Band”. Versions of these groups also backed up country-bluegrass legend Rose Maddox on two studio recordings and numerous personal appearances.

Vern’s impact on bluegrass music, especially in California, cannot be overstated.