Claude “Fiddler” Williams was born on February 22, 1908 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He started playing guitar at the age of 10, learning the basics and listening to his brother-in-law. He says, “Well my brother-in-law was, knew quite a bit about strings and he started me out on, you know, we used to sit around the house and play old Blues on guitar, and I’d watch him. And when he’d put the guitar down I’d pick it up and play Blues. And he saw that I was interested, and he went and bought a mandolin and he would pick the melody on the mandolin and show me the changes on the guitar”. After learning string instruments like guitar, mandolin and cello, he got interested in playing the violin after hearing Joe Venuti play. Venuti was revolutionary in bringing violin into the realm of jazz, and became quite famous throughout the 1920s and 30s for his “hot” violin solos.

As he got older and more into jazz, Williams moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he spent most of the rest of his life. Throughout his career, he was a part of many groups. His first professional experience was in 1927, when he played in the successful band Clouds of Joy. He later worked with Alphonse Trent and an array of other acclaimed artists like Mary Lou Williams, Nat “King” Cole, George E. Lee, Freddie Green, and more. After years of touring with different people, in 1953 he settled back in Kansas City where he spent the next 20 years leading an array of different groups but not making any records. His career was revived when he toured with Jay McShann in the 70s and 80s, performing as a soloist at jazz festivals. In the 90s, he was solidified as a star, being featured on CBS News Sunday Morning, performing at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center, even even playing at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Though in his 90s, he remained active and continued to play until his death in 2004 at the age of 96.