Little Son Joe, (Ernest Lawlers, Hughes, Arkansas, May 18, 1900 – Memphis, Tennessee, November 14, 1961) was an American blues guitarist, vocalist, and composer. He is best known for his musical partnership with his wife, Memphis Minnie, but he had been playing guitar and singing blues for some years around Memphis before they got together, including a period with Rev. Robert Wilkins, whom he accompanied on record in 1935. He took up with Minnie in the late 1930s, replacing her previous husband and partner, Kansas Joe McCoy. Lawlers made records under his own name, including the well known "Black Rat Swing", but mostly appeared in the supporting role, on a large number of sides covering most of the 1940s and the early years of the following decade. He retired from music with Minnie in the 1950s. He died in Memphis, Tennessee, in November 1961 from heart disease <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Little+Son+Joe">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.