Don Williams
Encyclopedia
Don Williams is an American country
singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He 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, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 No. 1 hits.
His straightforward yet smooth bass-baritone
voice, soft tones, and an imposing build earned him the nickname "The Gentle Giant" of country music.
bands. He formed his first band with Lofton Kline, called The Strangers Two, and in 1964 was approached by Susan Taylor to form a trio which ultimately became the Pozo-Seco Singers
, a folk-pop group. The band recorded a song called, "Time" on a local label called Edmark Records and it became a regional hit in their home state of Texas. Columbia Records
, picked up the record, signed the group, and released a series of Top 50 hits and three albums. The group disbanded in 1971, at which point Williams embarked on a solo career.
. 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.
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.
As of Fall, 2010, Williams had come out of retirement and was once again touring.
Don married Joy Bucher on April 10, 1960. They have two sons, Gary and Tim.
's "Male Vocalist of the Year" and his "Tulsa Time
" was named Single of the Year. His hits have been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash
, Eric Clapton
, Lefty Frizzell
, Josh Turner
, Sonny James
, Alison Krauss
, Billy Dean
, Charley Pride
, Kenny Rogers
, Lambchop, Alan Jackson
, Waylon Jennings
, Pete Townshend
and Tortoise (band)
with Bonnie "Prince" Billy. His music is also popular internationally, including Great Britain, Australia, India
and Nigeria. On February 23, 2010, the Country Music Association
announced that Don Williams was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He grew up in Portland
Portland, Texas
Portland is a city in Nueces and San Patricio Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current mayor and city manager are David Krebs and Mike Tanner. The population was 14,827 at the 2000 census, with a 2007 estimated population of 16,408.-Geography:...
, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group Pozo-Seco Singers
Pozo-Seco Singers
The Pozo-Seco Singers were an American folk band.Group members Don Williams and Lofton Kline were playing together under the name The Strangers Two in Corpus Christi, Texas when Susan Taylor aka heard them at a Circle K hootenanny held at Del Mar College. She asked the two if they'd like to form...
, he began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 No. 1 hits.
His straightforward yet smooth bass-baritone
Bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
voice, soft tones, and an imposing build earned him the nickname "The Gentle Giant" of country music.
Early career
First public performance: When Don was three years old he sang in a local talent contest and won first prize, an alarm clock. He began playing guitar as a teenager, which he learned from his mother. While a teenager, he played with country, rock n' roll and folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
bands. He formed his first band with Lofton Kline, called The Strangers Two, and in 1964 was approached by Susan Taylor to form a trio which ultimately became the Pozo-Seco Singers
Pozo-Seco Singers
The Pozo-Seco Singers were an American folk band.Group members Don Williams and Lofton Kline were playing together under the name The Strangers Two in Corpus Christi, Texas when Susan Taylor aka heard them at a Circle K hootenanny held at Del Mar College. She asked the two if they'd like to form...
, a folk-pop group. The band recorded a song called, "Time" on a local label called Edmark Records and it became a regional hit in their home state of Texas. Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, picked up the record, signed the group, and released a series of Top 50 hits and three albums. The group disbanded in 1971, at which point Williams embarked on a solo career.
Solo career
Williams started out as a songwriter for Jack Music Inc. Eventually, he signed with JMI Records as a solo artist. His 1974 song, "We Should Be Together," reached number five, and he signed with ABC/Dot RecordsABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
. His first single with ABC/Dot, "I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me
I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me
"I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me" is a 1974 single written by Al Turney and recorded by Don Williams. The song was Williams's sixth release as a solo artist and his first of seventeen number ones on the country singles chart in Billboard Magazine. The single spent one week at the...
," 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.
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
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
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.
As of Fall, 2010, Williams had come out of retirement and was once again touring.
Don married Joy Bucher on April 10, 1960. They have two sons, Gary and Tim.
Recognition
In 1978, Don Williams was the Country Music AssociationCountry Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
's "Male Vocalist of the Year" and his "Tulsa Time
Tulsa Time
"Tulsa Time" is a song written by Danny Flowers. Don Williams recorded and released it as a single in 1978. "Tulsa Time" would be Don Williams' eighth number one on the country chart...
" was named Single of the Year. His hits have been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
, Josh Turner
Josh Turner
Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
, Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
, Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
, Billy Dean
Billy Dean
William Harold "Billy" Dean, Jr. is an American country music singer and songwriter. Billy Dean first gained national attention after appearing on the television talent competition Star Search...
, Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
, Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, Lambchop, Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and Tortoise (band)
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
with Bonnie "Prince" Billy. His music is also popular internationally, including Great Britain, Australia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Nigeria. On February 23, 2010, the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
announced that Don Williams was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
External links
- Official Site
- Fan Site
- "Don Williams Yahoo Group" Yahoo group for Don William's fans
- Don Williams at CMT
- Don Williams on Hyves (Netherlands)
- Don Williams biography at VH1