Don Williams
Don Williams (May 27, 1939 – September 8, 2017) was an American country singer, songwriter, and 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 number one country hits.
His straightforward yet smooth bass-baritone voice, soft tones, and imposing build earned him the nickname: “Gentle Giant” of country music.[2]
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Biography[edit]
Wiliams grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971.
Solo career[edit]
After the Pozo-Seco Singers disbanded, Williams briefly abandoned the music industry and got a job working for his father-in-law. Soon, however, Williams resumed his career in music. In December 1971, Williams signed on as a songwriter for Jack Music Inc. In 1972, Williams inked a contract with JMI Records as a solo country artist. His 1974 song, “We Should Be Together,” reached number five, and he signed with ABC/Dot Records. At the height of the country and western boom in the UK, he had a top twenty hit in the summer of 1976 with “I Recall a Gypsy Woman“, and, in 1978, a #2 album, Images.
His first single with ABC/Dot, “I Wouldn’t Want to Live If You Didn’t Love Me,” became a number one hit, and was the first of a string of top ten hits he had between 1974 and 1991. Only four of his 46 singles didn’t make it to the Top Ten.
“I Believe in You” is a 1980 single written by Roger Cook and Sam Hogin and recorded by Don Williams. “I Believe in You” would be Don Williams’ eleventh #1 on the country chart. The single stayed at #1 for two weeks and spent 12 weeks on the country chart. [3] It was his only Top 40 chart entry, where it peaked at #24. It was also hit in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. [4]
Don had some minor roles in Burt Reynolds movies. In 1975, Don appeared as a member of the Dixie Dancekings band in the movie W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings alongside Reynolds. Don also appeared as himself in the Universal Pictures movie, Smokey and the Bandit II, in which he also played a number of songs.
Early in 2006, Williams announced his “Farewell Tour of the World” and played numerous dates both in the U.S. and abroad, wrapping the tour up with the “Final Farewell Concert” in Memphis, Tennessee at the Cannon Center for Performing Arts on November 21, 2006. Playing to a full house, the final event was well received and quite emotional for fans in attendance.
In 2010, Williams came out of retirement and was once again touring.[5]
In March 2012, Williams announced the release of a new record And So It Goes (UK release April 30, 2012; US/Worldwide release June 19, 2012), his first new record since 2004. The record is his first with the independent Americana label Sugar Hill Records.[6] The record includes guest appearances by Alison Krauss, Keith Urban, and Vince Gill.
To accompany his latest album release he embarked on a UK Tour.
In March 2016, the Pensacola News Journal reported that Williams had announced he was retiring from touring and cancelled all his scheduled shows. “It’s time to hang my hat up and enjoy some quiet time at home. I’m so thankful for my fans, my friends and my family for their everlasting love and support,” the 76-year-old Williams said in a statement.
Recognition[edit]
Williams has had a strong influence over a variety of recording artists of different genres. His hits have been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Claude Russell Bridges, Lefty Frizzell, Josh Turner, Sonny James, Alison Krauss, Billy Dean, Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers, Lambchop, Alan Jackson,Tomeu Penya, Waylon Jennings, Pete Townshend and Tortoise (band)with Bonnie “Prince” Billy.[7] His music is also popular internationally, including Great Britain, Australia, Ukraine, India, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. [8] On February 23, 2010, the Country Music Association announced that Don Williams was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.[9]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Wins
Nominations
- 1976 ACM Top Male Vocalist
- 1977 ACM Top Male Vocalist
- 1978 ACM Top Male Vocalist
- 1979 ACM Top Male Vocalist
- 1980 ACM Album of the Year – I Believe in You
- 1980 ACM Single Record of the Year – I Believe in You
- 1980 ACM Top Male Vocalist
- 1982 ACM Album of the Year – Listen to the Radio
- 1976 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
- 1977 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
- 1978 CMA Album of the Year – Country Boy
- 1979 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
- 1980 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
- 1981 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
Discography[edit]
References[edit]
- Jump up^ Thanki, Juli (September 8, 2017). “Country Music Hall of Famer Don Williams dead at 78”. The Tennesseean. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- Jump up^ “Archived copy”. Retrieved 2013-04-09. Unknown parameter
|Texas native Don Williams, who forged his own musical identity in the 1970s with a unique and low-key style of country that earned him the nickname “The Gentle Giant,” passed away on Friday (Sept. 8). A press release from the singer's PR team confirms his death "after a short illness," saying that funeral arrangements are pending. He was 78 years old.=ignored (help) - Jump up^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 386.
- Jump up^ ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 680.
- Jump up^ “News – Don Williams – THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE”. don-williams.com.
- Jump up^ “Country Music Legend Don Williams to release “And So It Goes” on June 19th”. Sugarhillrecords.com. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- Jump up^ Manage Domain Name Archived January 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- Jump up^ Don Williams: Into Africa Archived October 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. and Africa
- Jump up^ 4 inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame Archived February 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
External links[edit]
- 1939 births
- 2017 deaths
- People from Floyd County, Texas
- People from San Patricio County, Texas
- American male singers
- Country musicians from Texas
- Singers from Texas
- Songwriters from Texas
- MCA Records artists
- American country singers
- American country singer-songwriters
- EOne Music artists
- Grand Ole Opry members
- Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Members of the Country Music Association
- American country guitarists
- American acoustic guitarists
- Guitarists from Texas
