Don Williams - Biography
By J Poet
Don Williams is from Texas and wears a Stetson hat, but in many ways he was Nashville’s “anti-cowboy.” His songs all have the same slow, measured pace, he never sings above a whisper which gives his rumbling baritone the poignant quality that makes his style so unique, eschews songs about cheatin’ and honky tonkin’ and wears the same clothes on stage and off. Despite all that, he was one of the most consistent hit makers of the 70s and 80s with Five gold Albums and 45 Top 10 Country hits and a huge international fan base in Zimbabwe, Australia, England, Monaco, Finland and Brazil. He was one of the first country artists to make a music video and because he was over six feet tall and sang only sentimental love songs, the industry dubbed him “The Gentle Giant.” He slowed down in the 80s due to painful back problems, and stopped touring in the early 90s. He launched a Farewell World Tour in 2006, and officially retired, but made a resounding comeback with 2012's And So It Goes.
Don Williams was Texas born and bred, and learned guitar from his mother when he was a boy. He loved folk, country and rock, and played in many bands while attending Gregory-Portland High School. After he got out of the Army, he began singing with his friend Lofton Kline as The Strangers two in the late 50s. In 1964 Susan Taylor joined up and the trio became the Pozo Seco Singers. They landed a contract with Columbia and made two folk/pop albums, Time (1966 Columbia) and I Can make It With You (1967 Columbia.) The title track of Time grazed the bottom of the Top 40, and the band moved to Nashville, but only had a few more minor hits before disbanding in 1971.
Williams had been writing songs since high school and got a staff writer position with Jack Clement’s Music Publishing company. He didn’t have a lot of faith in his own low-key style, but Clement said his low-key style was perfect for the songs he was writing and convinced him to keep recording. Clement signed Williams to his indie JMI label his first album Don Williams (1973 JMI, 1974 Dot/ABC) spawned “Amanda,” a Bob McDill song that became one of his signature hits. Don Williams, Vol. II (1973 JMI, 1974 Dot/ABC) and Don Williams, Vol. III (1974 JMI, 1974 Dot/ABC) followed and when “I Wouldn't Want to Live (If You Didn't Love Me),” a Williams composition, topped the country charts, Dot/ABC signed him and reissued all three albums.
Almost every single Williams released between 1974 and 1991 hit the Country Top 10, one of the longest successful runs of any country artist. Despite his low key, almost somnambulant approach, the emotion of his love songs came through and won him legions of fans. In the ‘70s, Williams was the most successful country artist in the world. He was the Country Music Association’s Male Vocalist of the Year in 1978 with “Tulsa Time” being named Single of the Year.
His best selling albums from the 70s include You’re My Best Friend (1975 ABC,) Harmony (1975 ABC,) which included the #1 hit “Till the Rivers All Run Dry,” Visions (1977 ABC,) with two great Waylon Hollyfield tunes “I’m Getting Good at Missing You” and “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend,” Country Boy (1977 ABC,) Expressions (1978 ABC,) with the #1 single “Tulsa Time,” and Portrait (1979 MCA.)
Williams was and is, an extremely private person, never giving many interviews and shunning the limelight when he’s off stage. In the 80s back problems slowed him down a bit, but the hits still came, and his albums remained consistently strong. Best bets: the gold album I Believe in You (1980 MCA,) Especially for You (1981 MCA) which includes a duet with Emmylou harris on Towns Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You,” Listen to the Radio (1982 MCA,) Yellow Moon (1983 MCA,) Café Carolina (1984 MCA,) New Moves (1986 Capital,) Traces (1987 Capital,) and One Good Well (1989 RCA.)
In the 90s Williams saw his streak end. “Lord Have Mercy on a Country Boy” from True Love (RCA 1990) was his last chart hit and Currents (1992 RCA) was his last big album. In 1994 he made Borrowed Tales for the indie American Harvest label, a collection of other people’s hits he’d always admired. In 1997 Williams toured Africa and in 1998 signed with Giant for his last major label outing I Turn the Page (1998 Giant.) Williams return in 2012 to recording and performing is a welcome one.
