Lenny Williams
Encyclopedia
Leonard Charles "Lenny" Williams (born February 16, 1945, Little Rock, Arkansas
) is an American singer known for his work in the R&B
and soul music
genres. During the 1970s, he was the lead vocalist for Tower of Power
. As a soloist, he made several hit recordings
, including 1977's Choosing You and 1978's mega hit Cause I Love You.
, California at a young age. Learning to play the trumpet
in elementary school fueled his interest in music; his skills as a vocalist were first nurtured by singing in gospel choirs and groups around the Bay Area
. He worked with several notable artists, such as Sly Stone
, Andraé Crouch
, Billy Preston
and members of the Hawkins family, Edwin
, Walter
and Tramaine.
with Fantasy Records
. He cut two singles
for the label
including "Lisa’s Gone" and "Feelin Blue", written by John Fogerty
of Creedence Clearwater Revival
. In 1972, Williams joined the emerging funk
band Tower of Power. A string of hits followed, including "So Very Hard To Go", "Don't Change Horses (In The Middle Of The Stream)" and "Luvin You", written by Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. During his two years with the group, Williams participated in three album
s: Back To Oakland, Urban Renewal and the gold
LP Tower Of Power. Williams and Tower of Power toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
in 1975, he later moved to ABC Records
in 1977 (which was then purchased by MCA Records
in 1979). Over the next four years. He scored ten chart
hits, including “Shoo Doo FuFu Ooh”, "Choosing You”, “You Got Me Running”, “Love Hurt Me Love Healed Me”, and “Midnight Girl”. Williams recorded four more albums from 1977 to 1980: Choosing You, his first gold LP; Spark Of Love (contains Cause I Love You); Love Current; and Let’s Do It Today.
After leaving MCA, Williams recorded for the independent record label
s, Rockshire and Knobhill. In 1986, he was invited to sing vocals on "Don't Make Me Wait For Love" a track from Duo Tones, a multi-platinum recording by Kenny G
. The song became a Top 20 Billboard Hot 100
and R&B
hit the following year.
His 1978 hit song "Cause I Love You" was sampled
by Havoc of Mobb Deep
for the track"Nothing Like Home", and by Kanye West
for the songs "Overnight Celebrity
" by Twista
and "I Got A Love
" by Jin
. The track was sampled a fourth time in 2007 by Scarface
for his single "Girl You Know" featuring Trey Songz
.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
) is an American singer known for his work in the R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
genres. During the 1970s, he was the lead vocalist for Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
. As a soloist, he made several hit recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, including 1977's Choosing You and 1978's mega hit Cause I Love You.
Early life and career
Williams moved to OaklandOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California at a young age. Learning to play the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
in elementary school fueled his interest in music; his skills as a vocalist were first nurtured by singing in gospel choirs and groups around the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. He worked with several notable artists, such as Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
, Andraé Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
, Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
and members of the Hawkins family, Edwin
Edwin Hawkins
Edwin Hawkins is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir master, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He are best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" , which was included on the Songs of the Century list...
, Walter
Walter Hawkins
Walter Hawkins was an American gospel music singer, and a pastor. Hawkins was consecrated to the bishopic in 1992. He died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer....
and Tramaine.
Professional recordings
After winning several local talent contests, Williams signed his first recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Fantasy Records
Fantasy Records
Fantasy Records is a United States-based record label that was founded by Max and Sol Weiss in 1949 in San Francisco, California. They had previously operated a record-pressing plant called Circle Record Company before forming the Fantasy label...
. He cut two singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
including "Lisa’s Gone" and "Feelin Blue", written by John Fogerty
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
of Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
. In 1972, Williams joined the emerging funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band Tower of Power. A string of hits followed, including "So Very Hard To Go", "Don't Change Horses (In The Middle Of The Stream)" and "Luvin You", written by Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. During his two years with the group, Williams participated in three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s: Back To Oakland, Urban Renewal and the gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
LP Tower Of Power. Williams and Tower of Power toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Solo works
At the end of 1975, Williams returned to his solo projects. Initially signing with Motown RecordsMotown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
in 1975, he later moved to ABC Records
ABC 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....
in 1977 (which was then purchased by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in 1979). Over the next four years. He scored ten chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hits, including “Shoo Doo FuFu Ooh”, "Choosing You”, “You Got Me Running”, “Love Hurt Me Love Healed Me”, and “Midnight Girl”. Williams recorded four more albums from 1977 to 1980: Choosing You, his first gold LP; Spark Of Love (contains Cause I Love You); Love Current; and Let’s Do It Today.
After leaving MCA, Williams recorded for the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s, Rockshire and Knobhill. In 1986, he was invited to sing vocals on "Don't Make Me Wait For Love" a track from Duo Tones, a multi-platinum recording by Kenny G
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
. The song became a Top 20 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
hit the following year.
His 1978 hit song "Cause I Love You" was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by Havoc of Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
for the track"Nothing Like Home", and by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
for the songs "Overnight Celebrity
Overnight Celebrity
"Overnight Celebrity" is the second single off Twista's 2004 album Kamikaze. The song was produced by Kanye West. It contains a sample of the Lenny Williams song "Cause I Love You"...
" by Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
and "I Got A Love
The Rest Is History
The Rest Is History is Jin's debut album. It was released on October 18, 2004.-Background:Originally titled Almost Famous, the album was delayed for over a year. Originally slated for a Summer 2003 release it was pushed back to an October 2003 date. After plans did not materialize, the album's...
" by Jin
Jin (rapper)
Jin Au-Yeung , who performs under the stage name MC Jin, is a Hong Kong hip hop rapper, songwriter, and actor. Growing up in the Miami, Florida area, and later living in New York City, he decided to reside permanently in his motherland, Hong Kong...
. The track was sampled a fourth time in 2007 by Scarface
Scarface (rapper)
Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
for his single "Girl You Know" featuring Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
.
Studio albums
- 1974: Pray For The Lion (Warner Bros. Records)
- 1975: Rise Sleeping Beauty (Motown Records)
- 1977: Choosing You (ABC Records)
- 1978: Spark of Love (ABC Records)
- 1979: Love Current (MCA Records)
- 1980: Let's Do It Today (MCA Records)
- 1981: Taking Chances (MCA Records)
- 1984: Changing (Rocshire Records)
- 1986: New Episode (Knobhill Records)
- 1989: Layin' In Wait (K-Tel Records)
- 1996: Chill (Bellmark Records)
- 1996: Here's To The Lady (Universal Special Products)
- 2000: Love Therapy (Volt Records)
- 2004: My Way (Thump Records)
- 2007: It Must Be Love (LenTom Records)
- 2009: Unfinished Business (Lentom Records)
Compilation albums
- 1993: Ooh Child (MCA Special Products)
- 2002: Ten Ways of Lovin' You (Volt Records)
- 2008: You Won My Heart (Crush Records)