Felton W. Williams Jr. (1934-2012)
Felton Washington Williams Jr. was born January 3, 1934 to Felton Washington Williams Sr. and Katie Ware Williams in Tupelo, Ms. Felton attended Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan where he earned his journeyman electrician’s license.
Felton was a member of the Jewell Dominion Church of the living God, a Holiness – Pentecostal church where he learned to play the Hawaiian lap steel and Spanish guitar in the mid 1940’s.
In 1969, Felton built his own custom recording studio in the basement of his home and soon after began recording artist under the Revival record label. During the 2009 Sacred Strings Showcase concert in Toledo, Ohio, Felton was presented with the Legend Award. In 2010, he was inducted into the Sacred Strings Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Felton donated his first handmade double neck console lap steel guitar to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; located in Washington D.C. Felton Washington Williams Jr. passed away in his home March 11, 2012 and was laid to rest in the Detroit Memorial Park West Cemetery.
FAQS
What is Sacred Steel?
Sacred Steel is an African-American gospel tradition that features the steel guitar in religious services. It originated in Pentecostal churches in the 1930s
Where did Sacred Steel originate?
It developed in the Church of the Living God, particularly in the Keith and Jewell Dominions.
How did Sacred Steel gain popularity?
Sacred Steel gained wider recognition through performances by artists like Robert Randolph, Calvin Cooke, Aubrey Ghent and the Campbell Brothers, who brought the genre to international fame.
God Bless Sacred Steel!
