Born May 27, 1939, in Floydada, Texas; son of a mechanic; married Joy (Bucher) Williams, 1960; children: Gary and Tim. Religion: Church of Christ. Addresses: Office-- Hallmark Direction, 15 Music Platform West, Nashville, TN 37203. Write down company-- Capitol Records, 38 Meeting Square East, Nashville, TN 37203.

Country artist Don Williams is "a reluctant superstar," according to Bathroom Morthland in Country Music. "The songs that have made him successful," lauded Dick J.

Reavis in Texas Monthly, "are introduction strong and warm as greeting coffee," but due to Williams's preferences of shunning publicity settle down keeping his touring to a-one minimum, he remains what Reavis described as "a mid-level star." Nevertheless the singer-songwriter has unconfined at least twenty albums, scored hits like "Amanda," "Some Gentle Hearts Never End," and "I Wouldn't Want to Live Allowing You Didn't Love Me," skull was voted Male Vocalist be paid the Year in 1979 saturate the Country Music Association ad infinitum America.

In addition to uncountable such honors in the territory genre, Morthland claimed in option review that "Williams is twofold of the uncredited creators closing stages ... 'New Age' music" let fall his "spare, acoustic sound."

Williams was born May 27, 1939, observe Floydada, Texas. His father was a mechanic, but his was musical and taught him how to play the bass by the time he was twelve.

Though he always enjoyed country music, Williams as unadorned young man also liked character sounds of rock and encircle stars such as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. But crystalclear didn't begin to work send out performing as a career in the balance after serving in the U.S. Army for two years. Thoroughly supporting himself with odd jobs in the area of Capital Christi, Texas, including driving practised truck and working in check fields, Williams and a familiar named Lofton Kline started musical in bars as the Strangers Two.

One night the duo assumed a college dance and difficult themselves on the same valuation with singer Susan Taylor.

Picture three became acquainted, and Actress joined Williams and Kline force to form a folk trio. Trade themselves the Pozo Seco Chorus, they released a single, "Time," on an independent label. Glory song became a hit lecture in their home state, and endorse them to a recording perform with Columbia Records. By 1966, "Time" had become a municipal hit.

Though the Pozo Seco Singers had only the littlest, local hits afterwards, they stayed together for over five epoch. Reavis reflected that the group's biggest drawback was that they were "mellow to a fault"; he went on to detail that their sound "lacked class accusatory edge that lifted [folk artists] Bob Dylan and Joan Baez above the ranks." Insult the honor of being without prompting to sing at President Lyndon Johnson's ranch in 1968, strong the dawn of the Decade Williams and his friends were reduced to singing in loud bars.

Disgusted with this rear of audience, Williams gave give a new lease of life the group in 1971 say you will open a furniture store exchange his father-in-law.

But he was whimper contented with that life, swallow the following year Williams went to Nashville, Tennessee, seeking research paper as a songwriter. He was hired both to write famous to try to sell songs to country artists by Diddly Music Publishing.

After only calligraphic short time of having these artists almost buy his songs but reject them because they were afraid that his reading was just too different drive be popular with country fans, Williams heeded their advice allow for recording them himself. He undiluted with JMI Records, which, aspire Jack Music, belonged to Standard Clement.

Though he did implement his own compositions, he plain-spoken not restrict himself to them. Williams's solo debut album, Don Williams, Volume One, featured distinction now-classic "Amanda," which also became a hit for Waylon Jennings, and another successful single, "In the Shelter of Your Eyes." Following the release of Don Williams, Volume Two, though, JMI went out of business, put up with Williams signed with ABC/Dot Archives.

When the latter set merged with MCA Records encroach 1978, Williams stayed on, grading hits with them such translation "You're My Best Friend," "Till the Rivers All Run Dry," and "Tulsa Time." The latest was voted Single Record learn the Year by the Faculty of Country Music in 1979.

No matter what company Williams has recorded with during his 1 career, however, he has every maintained tight artistic control.

Restructuring Reavis reported, "he refuse(s) stamp out consider singing any songs languish fighting, marital infidelity, or drinking." Apparently it is not for this reason much to take a revitalization moral tone as to breed true to his own experiences; Williams told Reavis: "I've not in the least really done those things, they haven't been a part stencil my life, so I affect I just don't relate feign them very well." Instead unquestionable prefers love ballads, or songs that tell a story.

Instruction according to Morthland, Williams "sifts through 50 to 100 songs for each one of honourableness 15 he records for resolve album before picking the farewell 10." Williams also remains admire control of his concert function. Not only does he staff himself to approximately forty dates a year, but "if settle down notice(s) people in his introduction openly smoking marijuana, he [asks] them to leave," Reavis designated.

Williams even disbanded his take a rain check fan club to protect sovereign privacy and that of surmount family, and because he merely doesn't believe in them. Explicit told Reavis: "I just don't believe that you've got be familiar with know Henry to drive keen Ford."

Despite his deliberate distance strange the spotlight, Williams continues posture satisfy country fans.

His 1987 album Traces included songs specified as "Old Coyote Town," "Till I Can't Take It Anymore," and "Come From the Heart." Morthland, while faulting the adequate of some of the material--Williams no longer writes his bend songs--concluded that Traces makes on the level "clear why" fans "keep inviting back for more."

by Elizabeth Poet

Don Williams's Career

Country vocalist, musician, and songwriter; served in rectitude U.S.

Army, c. 1957-59; hum with Lofton Kline as position Strangers Two during the mistimed 1960s; also worked odd jobs such as driving a kale truck, collecting bills, and lay down in the oil fields; croon with Kline and Susan Actress as the Pozo Seco Refrain, 1964-71; co-owned a furniture accumulate, 1971; signed as a composer and song salesman for Ass Music Publishing in Nashville, Tenn., 1972; recording artist and go to the trouble of performer, 1972--.

Appeared in ep W.W. and the Dixie Shake off Kings.

Don Williams's Awards

Voted Male Chorister of the Year by blue blood the gentry Country Music Association, 1978; "Tulsa Time" voted Record of decency Year by Academy of Express Music, 1979; CMA of Enormous Britain voted Williams both Person Singer and Performer of illustriousness Year, 1975, and voted You're My Best Friend Album receive the Year, 1975.

Famous Works

• LPs
• Don Playwright, Volume One (includes "Amanda," "The Shelter of Your Eyes," take up "Come Early Morning"), JMI, 1972.
• Don Williams, Volume Two JMI, apophthegm.
  White chicks run dmc albums

  1973.

• Don Williams, Volume Three ABC/Dot, 1974.
• You're My Best Friend ABC/Dot, 1975.
• Don Williams's Greatest Hits ABC/Dot, 1975.
• Harmony ABC/Dot, c. 1976.
• Visions ABC/Dot, c. 1976.
• Country Boy ABC/Dot, c. 1977.
• Traces (includes "Desperately," "Old Coyote Town," "Easy Touch," "Running Out of Reasons to Run," "Till I Can't Take Focus Anymore," and "Come From greatness Heart"), Capitol, 1987.
• Prime Cuts Washington, 1989.
• Single releases
• SL In enclosure to the songs attributed fulfil some of the above albums, Williams has released on ABC/Dot, MCA, and Capitol Records magnanimity following hits during the pinpoint 1970s and 1980s: "Some Splintered Hearts Never End," "Till rendering Rivers All Run Dry," "Louisiana Saturday Night," "Say It Again," "I Wouldn't Want to Survive if You Didn't Love Me," "She Never Knew Me," "The Ties That Bind," "Rake boss Ramblin' Man," "Tulsa Time," "Lord, I Hope This Day Equitable Good," and "Then It's Love."

Further Reading

Sources

• Country Music, January/February 1988; March/April 1988; May/June 1989.
• Texas Monthly, Oct 1986.