Walter D. Williams, Jr. (June 17, 1911 – August 21, 1991), known as Dootsie Williams, was an American record producer and record label owner who released early records by

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movemen ...

and

The Penguins The Penguins were an American doo-wop group from Los Angeles, California, that were active during the 1950s and early 1960s. They are known for their 1954 hit song, " Earth Angel", which was one of the first rhythm and blues songs to cross ov ...

Life and career

Williams was born in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, in 1911, and by 1918 had moved with his family to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He was a leader of the Harlem Dukes band in the 1940s. While performing at gigs, he came up with the idea of recording other artists. In 1949, Williams founded the Blue Records label. Two years later he changed the name to Dootone. One of the first artists he recorded on Dootone was a violinist named Johnny Creach, who years later would become popular as Papa John Creach. In 1954, he recorded a local group called

, who would have a huge hit with "

Earth Angel "Earth Angel", occasionally referred to as "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)", is a song by American doo-wop group the Penguins. Produced by Dootsie Williams, it was released as their debut single in October 1954 on Dootone Records. The Penguins ...

". While the label would record a wide variety of music, it would be best known for a series of comedy recordings by

. Williams saw the comedian perform at the Brass Rail, a local Los Angeles nightclub, and signed Foxx to a recording contract. ''Laff of the Party,'' the first of many albums that Foxx recorded for Williams, became a cult favorite and helped establish him as a national star. Williams died in

on August 21, 1991.

References

External links

Dootone/Dooto Single Discography

1911 births 1991 deaths American music industry executives Record producers from Alabama Musicians from Mobile, Alabama 20th-century American businesspeople {{record-producer-stub