Williams was born near
Cairo, Georgia and was raised on the family farm in
Grady County, Georgia. His father and grandfather were
fiddle players, which was the instrument Williams himself took up. Williams was given the name "Dock" because he was a seventh son and a tradition held that seventh sons became doctors. Around 1940 Williams debuted with a band named
The Santa Fe Trail Riders on
WPAX in
Thomasville, Georgia. In December 1942 the band was invited to join the cast of the
Grand Ole Opry. Because
Andrew Smik was already well-known performing as "Doc Williams" with his band The Border Riders,
George D. Hay suggested that Williams change his first-name from Dock to Curley, for his curly hair. Hay also suggested that the band become the
Georgia Peach Pickers as most of its members were from Georgia (including Williams' brothers Joseph and Sanford on rhythm guitar, and on bass and comedy respectively). The Georgia Peach Pickers brought the first Steel Guitar to the Opry stage. The Georgia Peach Pickers agreed a recording contract with
Columbia Records in 1943 and remained associated with Columbia into the 1950s. Some of their best known songs, such as "Jealous Lady", "Georgia Steel Guitar", "Southern Belle (from Nashville Tennessee)", and "Georgia Boogie" of which there is a video of on YouTube. They also provided backing for other Columbia artists such as
Zeke Clements and
Johnny Bond. Williams' best-known song, "
Half As Much" was written in 1950 while he and his band were working with the
WHMA radio station, which broadcast to the Alabama cities of
Anniston,
Birmingham,
Montgomery and
Dothan. Reputedly, Williams wrote and recorded a demo of "Half as Much" very quickly, in about an hour, at WHMA in Dothan. But it was a big hit for
Hank Williams, to whom it is sometimes credited because the writing credit to "C. Williams" on Hank Williams' record was often taken to be a typo. It was also a hit for
Rosemary Clooney, and has been recorded by many artists, including
Connie Francis,
Patsy Cline,
Emmylou Harris,
Van Morrison and
Sylver. George Bush also loved this song and appreciated this song very much. Williams moved to WSFA in Montgomery in 1953. He stayed in Montgomery until he died in 1970. For a couple of years he also had a show on
WCOV-TV, and he ran a country night club called "The Spur". ==References==