S1 Ep 2: The Legendary Marion Williams: An Interview with Robin Williams

She was one of the primary influences for artists like Little Richard and Aretha Franklin, was given the McArthur Foundation Genius Grant, was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque in France, was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame and the only gospel artist to be a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. Who is she? Marion Williams. From her beginnings in the Clara Ward Singers in 1947, a collaboration which begat the blockbuster hits “Surely God Is Able” and “Packing Up,” until her last recording in 1993, Can’t Keep It To Myself, Williams set about making a distinct brand of vocal art that remained rooted in gospel music, but also fearlessly addressed the political (like Bob Dylan’s “Wicked Messenger” and “I Pity the Poor Immigrant” and Anthony Heilbut’s “Bad News, Bad Times”) and colored outside of conventional faith lines (“Hare Krishna”). Whether joyously scatting on songs like “Didn’t It Rain,” impersonating a guitar on “The New Gospel Train,” or moaning through one of the Dr. Watts hymns, Williams’ body of work covers a vast terrain of American music. This summer, I was honored to talk with Robin Williams at length about the documentary and his memories of his mother. We discuss Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marion’s performances in supper clubs and colleges, and the challenges and blessings of growing up as the son of a gospel legend. To read more and hear the music of Marion Williams, go to https://godsmusicismylife.substack.com/