Don Williams

At 78 years old, Don Williams has this physical status:

Donald Ray Williams (May 27, 1939 – September 8, 2017) was an American country singer and songwriter who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

He began his solo career in 1971, performing popular ballads and debuting at number 17 in the United States.

His clear yet silky bass-baritone voice, soft tones, and strong structure earned him the nickname "Gentle Giant" of country music.

Early years

Williams was born in Floydada, Texas, United States, on May 27, 1939, the youngest of three sons. Loveta Mae (née Lambert; 1914 – 2007) and James Andrew "Jim" Williams (1898 – 1982). He grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated from Gregory-Portland High School in 1958. Loveta Williams remarried, first to Chester Lang and then to Robert Bevers, after Williams' parents divorced.

Kenneth Williams' eldest brother, Kenneth, died after being accidentally electrocuted when touching a live wire on July 20, 1963. He was 29 years old at the time.

Williams spent two years with the United States Army Security Agency before forming Pozo-Seco Singers. He worked in a variety of odd jobs in order to help himself and his families after an honorable discharge.

Williams, as well as Susan Taylor and Lofton Cline, appeared on Columbia Records as a member of the Pozo-Seco Singers. He was with the company until 1969, but it was disbanded the next year.

Personal life and death

In April 1960, Williams married Joy Janene Bucher. They had two children.

Williams died of emphysema in Mobile, Alabama, on September 8, 2017.

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Solo career

Williams briefly worked outside of the music industry after the Pozo-Seco Singers disbanded. Williams' career in music however, hasn't stalled soon. Williams became a songwriter for Jack Clement with Jack Music Inc. in December 1971. Williams signed a deal with JMI Records as a solo country artist in 1972. His 1974 album "We Should Be Together" debuted at number five, and he's signed to ABC/Dot Records. He had top-forty pop chart hits with "You're My Best Friend" and "I Recall a Gypsy Woman" during the country's western boom in 1976.

"I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me" was his first single with ABC/Dot and was the first of a string of top ten hits for him between 1974 and 1991. During this period, only four of his 46 singles made it to the top ten.

Williams' eleventh number one on the country chart was "I Believe in You," written by Roger Cook and Sam Hogin. It was his first Top 40 chart entry in the United States, where it peaked at number 24. It was also a hit in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

Williams appeared in Burt Reynolds films in minor roles. Williams appeared in 1975 as a member of the Dixie Dancekings band, as well as Reynolds. Williams appeared in the Universal Pictures film Smokey and the Bandit II, in which he also appeared in a number of songs.

Williams began his "Farewell Tour of the World" in 2006 and appeared on numerous dates both in the United States and abroad, concluding the tour with a sold-out "Final Farewell Concert" in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 21, 2006. Williams came out of retirement and was back on tour in 2010.

Williams unveiled And So It Goes, the first new record since 2004, in March 2012. The record was his first with Sugar Hill Records, a self-owned Americana company. Alison Krauss, Keith Urban, and Vince Gill have all appeared on the record. He began a journey in the United Kingdom to coincide with the publication. He was one of Britain's most adored country artists on tour in 2014.

Williams announced in March 2016 that he was resigning from touring and cancelled all of his scheduled performances. "It's time to take a hat and enjoy some quiet time at home." In a tweet, he said, "I'm so grateful for my fans, my colleagues, and my family for their everlasting love and assistance."

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