Cole Williams (musician)

Cole Williams is a Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, actress, producer, broadcaster, and community organizer. She is the lead vocalist of the Cole Williams Band and the host of The New Orleans Music Show on WWOZ 90.7 FM.^[1][2] Williams has appeared on NCIS: New Orleans and Big Freedia Means Business.

Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jamaican mother and an American father. She performed in church choirs and studied classical piano in childhood and appeared in youth recitals at Carnegie Hall.^[3] She attended Brooklyn Technical High School and earned a Bachelor of Music in classical vocal performance from New Jersey City University.^[4]

After completing her studies, Williams performed as a recording artist and vocalist in New York and Europe. Her early exposure to gospel, soul, and reggae influenced her musical development.^[4] She relocated to New Orleans in the mid-2010s.

Williams released music independently through her label, That’sMy Worldwide Records, including The Basement Sessions EP (2007) and Out of the Basement, Out of the Box (2011).^[5] Her single “Little Me” (2011) addressed socially conscious themes.^[6]

From 2013 to 2015, Williams was a member of Pimps of Joytime, contributing to the album Jukestone Paradise and touring as a singer and percussionist.^[7][3] During this period, she performed with the Pimps of Joytime at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience. She performed with artists such as Joey Bada$$, Beats By The Pound, Aloe Blacc, Somi, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Nickodemus, Lisa Lisa, and Little Jackie.^{[8][9][10][11]} As an actress, Williams appeared on NCIS: New Orleans, Big Freedia Means Business, Sinners, and People We Meet on Vacation.^[12][4][10]

After moving to New Orleans, Williams formed the Cole Williams Band, blending soul, funk, reggae, and Afrobeat. The band performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,^[13][14] French Quarter Festival,^[3][15] Blue Note NYC, World Cafe Live, and the Joshua Tree Music Festival.^[8][4] She later released her solo album Give Power to the People (2021).^[3][8][16] The band released covers such as Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come.^[17][18][19]

Williams has produced cultural documentaries for WWOZ, including CloseUp: Tank and the Bangas, Irma’s Story, and independently produced Unsung Heroes.^{[4][2][9][20]} She hosts The New Orleans Music Show, featuring local musicians and cultural programming.^{[21][2][20][22]}

In 2015, Williams released the track Stand Tall, produced in collaboration with DJ Cassady.^[23] In 2017, she hosted workshops with the New Orleans Jazz Museum, teaching youth about storytelling and songwriting, and performed a show titled We R African Rock.^[24][25] She also performed at C'mon Everybody in Brooklyn^[26] and released the single "Free", a collaboration with French producer Pierra Veullot.^[17]

In 2024, she released How We Care for Humanity through Four Corners Records,^[27] with the lead single "A Better Woman" appearing on The Originals Vol. 3 compilation.^[28][29] Williams appeared on WWL-TV’s Chip Forstall Sound Stage, performing and discussing her new music.^[30][31][32]

Williams co-hosted the 2025 Jazz & Heritage Gala and joined the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation as Manager of Community Partnerships and Arts Advocacy.^[1][33] She has composed jingles for local organizations and participated in music programs and festivals in New Orleans.^[9][34][31] Since 2023, Williams has hosted the Big Easy Cruise.^[35]

Williams performed at the Ooh Poo Pah Doo Lounge (2016),^[36] the Congo Square Rhythms Festival (2017, 2025),^[37] World Cafe Live in Philadelphia (2017),^[38] Treme Fest (2019),^[39] and in Nashville (2019).^[40] In 2020, she participated in I Can Do That: International Touring, a webinar hosted by Ron Rona of Preservation Hall.^[41] In 2024, she presented Give Power The People LIVE, her solo piano show organized by That’sMy Worldwide Entertainment and Lenox Road Productions.^[42]

In 2020, Williams founded the Greater New Orleans Citizens Relief Team (GNOCRT) under the mentorship of civil rights activist Curtis Muhammad.^[43][44][45] The organization provides food distribution, housing repair, and advocacy for unhoused and underserved residents.^[8][10] She hosts weekly open rehearsals, followed by the program Poets On Poet with Chuck Perkins.^{[10][11][42][46]}

In 2023, she co-produced the podcast House the Houseless: Music & Action with Ropeadope Records, combining live performance with activism.^{[44][16][47][44]}

Williams’ music combines soul, gospel, funk, reggae, and Afrobeat, reflecting her Caribbean heritage, Brooklyn upbringing, and New Orleans influences.^[48] Her lyrics address social justice and community issues, including songs such as Inherit the Earth, Organize, and Who Cares For The Houseless On The Holidays.^[43][49] Her music has been described as rooted in the tradition of Gil Scott-Heron.^[8][10][11]

She has discussed her efforts to promote Black empowerment, humanity, and social change through her music and community work, describing her use of music as a tool for social awareness and community engagement within all communities, starting with the unhoused.^[50]

She has described her stage persona as "The Punk Empress of African Rock", reflecting her fusion of African rhythm, rock, and soul.^[48] Williams emphasizes preparation and intentionality in performance, applying discipline to both music and community engagement.^[51]

• 2017: Best of the Beat Nomination, Best Female Vocalist – OffBeat Magazine^[52]
• International Songwriting Competition – Winner (2024); Finalist (2023)^[1]
• Unsigned Only Music Competition – Finalist (2025); Semi-finalist (2023)^[9]
• 2024: Press Club of New Orleans Award – Cultural Programming^[9]
• 2024: Symphonic Distribution – Listed among "Black Artists Making Waves"^[53]
• 2025: Elite Ms. Louisiana Petite – Titleholder^[1]

• Official website
• Cole Williams at IMDb