Ernest Lawlars, professionally known as Little Son Joe, was a notable American blues guitarist, vocalist, and composer. Born on May 18, 1900, in Hughes, Arkansas, he became a significant figure in the blues genre during the 1930s through the 1950s. Lawlars began his music career in Memphis, working with Robert Wilkins from around 1931 to 1936, and participated in a recording session in 1935, although his first recorded side was not issued.

By 1939, Lawlars had moved to Chicago and was working with, and married to, the renowned blues artist Memphis Minnie. Their collaboration was fruitful, with their first recording session for Vocalion in February 1939 producing multiple sides. Although Lawlars recorded under his own name, Little Son Joe, much of his work was as an accompanist to Minnie. He achieved a hit with "Black Rat Swing" in 1942, billed as "Mr. Memphis Minnie."

In the late 1950s, Lawlars retired mostly due to ill-health, but he and Minnie continued to perform regularly in Memphis. He played drums on Minnie's final recording session in 1959. Ernest Lawlars passed away from heart disease on November 14, 1961, in Memphis, Tennessee, and was buried in the New Hope Cemetery in Walls, Mississippi. His contributions to the blues remain influential, particularly through his work with Memphis Minnie.