Melvin Williams

The GRAMMY Museum will welcome seven-time GRAMMY-nominated gospel icon Melvin Williams to the Clive Davis Theater for an intimate conversation on his remarkable five-decade career and special performance, hosted by Executive Director Scott Goldman. Prior to the evening program, Williams will present an afternoon installment of his Master Class “Down Home Gospel: Preserve Traditional Gospel Music” for a group of middle and high school students as part of the Museum’s education initiatives. Williams will teach vocal and guitar techniques, demonstrate song stylings, and discuss with the students what influenced him to pursue a career in music.

Born in Smithdale, Miss., Williams has continued to enrich his solid foundation as one of gospel’s most notable voices across the world. His distinctive, soulful vocal tone and high energy, emotion-filled delivery has touched the hearts and souls of people all over. Throughout his career, Williams shared the stage along with the legendary Williams Brothers and other musical greats as Stevie Wonder, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Shirley Caesar, Mavis Staples, James Taylor, Marty Stuart, Paul Overstreet, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, the Mississippi Mass Choir, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, the late Luther Vandross, Amy Grant, and many more. Also an Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State Cultural Affairs, Williams continues to tour internationally, performing and hosting workshops on the history of gospel music and its influence on today’s music. His most recent album, Where I Started From, was released in July 2017 and features Williams’ rendition of Mahalia Jackson’s “How I Got Over.”