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Tuesday, March 30, 1999 5:50:25 PM EST

LAS VEGAS (CNN) -- Extravagant words of praise came from many sources Tuesday for the talent and vocal artistry of Big Band singer Joe Williams, who died in Las Vegas Monday at the age of 80.

Over a career than spanned 50 years and included a long stint with the Count Basie Orchestra, Williams influenced generations of singers, including Tony Bennett and Robert Goulet.

Singer and friend Buddy Greco said, "As a talent, he was one of the best blues singers in the world and also one of the best ballad singers." He added, "There will never be anyone like him, again."

After learning of Williams' passing, singer Robert Goulet said, "He was one of the greatest jazz and blues singers of all time, and he was such a good man, too."

While Williams' singing career began in the 1930s, he made it big accompanying the big bands of the 1940s, where his deep voice and broad, full tones were strong enough to complement the thunderous big band sound. And he was perhaps best known as the greatest singer to work with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Williams became a sensation in 1955 when he recorded "Everyday I Have the Blues" with Basie, and the two were together for seven years. Williams repeatedly was chosen the top male jazz singer in readers' polls for Downbeat and other magazines.

"I'm most pleasantly surprised at what still comes out of my throat," Williams said in a 1986 interview. "I'm thrilled and thankful. I remember Edward (Duke Ellington) saying, 'I'm just a messenger boy for God.' Much of what we do comes through us. I thank God for what comes through me."

Born Joseph Goreed on December 12, 1918, in Cordele, Georgia, the entertainer was raised by his mother and grandmother. He found fun in playing the piano and singing the spirituals he heard at the Methodist church where his mother was the organist.

RECENT RELEASES:

"In Good Company," 1998 "That Holiday Feeling," 1997 "The Best of Joe Williams," 1997 "At Newport '63/Jump for Joy," 1997 "Everyday -- The Best of the Verve Years," 1993 "Live at the Detroit Orchestra Hall," 1993

DISCUSSION:

Do you have a favorite Joe Williams song? Ever see him perform live? Share your Joe Williams memories here.

During the 1930s, a teen-age Williams led the singing group The Jubilee Boys in performances in Chicago churches. He later sang solo in a Chicago club, and made his professional debut in 1937 with the late Jimmy Noone.

His big break came in 1943, when Williams was working as a security guard to support himself. He wound up guarding the front door of the Regal Theater and met jazz luminaries such as Duke Ellington. The Regal's manager sent Williams to the Tick Tock in Boston to join Lionel Hampton's band, which had its own powerhouse blues singer, Dinah Washington.

The magic came with Basie. Williams said Basie hired him on the advice of his band.

"Basie said, 'I can't give you what you're worth. But, things get better for me, they get better for you.' I had the good sense to go with him," Williams recalled.

The two played together from 1954 to 1961, and Williams often performed with Basie until his death in 1984; Williams dedicated his renditions of "You Are So Beautiful" to Basie.

In the '80s, a new generation discovered Williams on TV's "The Cosby Show," where he appeared occasionally as Bill Cosby's father-in-law, Grandpa Al. Williams and Cosby were good friends, and the stories "Grandpa Al" shared on the show were based on Williams' own experiences as a teen-ager in Chicago.

Williams continued singing into his 70s, sometimes working 40 weeks a year on cruise ships, in festivals, hotels and clubs.

The coroner of Clark County, Nevada said Williams apparently died of natural causes Monday, after leaving a hospital and walking several miles. He collapsed on a city street just a few blocks from his home.

His wife, Jillean, said he had entered a local hospital a week earlier for a respiratory ailment.

Williams is survived by his wife, his son, Joe; and his daugher, Anne.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.