Gentle Giant dies at 78
Don Williams, singer of heartfelt country ballads who emerged as one of the biggest stars in country music during the late 1970s, died on Friday in Mobile, Alabama.
The Texas native began his singing career with the Pozo Seco Singers in the mid-Sixties and disbanded by the end of the decade to pursue a solo career. In the Seventies, he fashioned himself into one of country music's most distinctive stylists, recording a long stretch of easy-going hits including “Tulsa Time,” “She Never Knew Me,” “I Wouldn't Want to Live if You Didn't Love Me,” and numerous others for 17 number-one songs in all.
His laid-back, smooth style of singing and towering height earned him the nickname of country's 'Gentle Giant', a title that followed him from then on.
He regularly scored top 40 hits up through 1991, building a massive following overseas in far-flung and unlikely places such as New Zealand, South Africa, Namibia and Kenya.
Williams initially retired from touring in 2006, but returned to the road for a celebrated tour in 2010, when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Late in his career, he released a pair of albums that introduced him to a new generation of fans, 2012's And So It Goes and 2014's Reflections.
In 2016, Williams was beset with a series of health issues.
He was forced to postpone his tour in order to have hip replacement surgery, ultimately cancelling the tour and announcing his retirement from live performances last March. In 2017, an eclectic group of performers including Dierks Bentley, Brandy Clark and Jason Isbell showed their appreciation for Williams' work on the tribute album Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams.
The funeral arrangements are pending.
MSN.COM
The Texas native began his singing career with the Pozo Seco Singers in the mid-Sixties and disbanded by the end of the decade to pursue a solo career. In the Seventies, he fashioned himself into one of country music's most distinctive stylists, recording a long stretch of easy-going hits including “Tulsa Time,” “She Never Knew Me,” “I Wouldn't Want to Live if You Didn't Love Me,” and numerous others for 17 number-one songs in all.
His laid-back, smooth style of singing and towering height earned him the nickname of country's 'Gentle Giant', a title that followed him from then on.
He regularly scored top 40 hits up through 1991, building a massive following overseas in far-flung and unlikely places such as New Zealand, South Africa, Namibia and Kenya.
Williams initially retired from touring in 2006, but returned to the road for a celebrated tour in 2010, when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Late in his career, he released a pair of albums that introduced him to a new generation of fans, 2012's And So It Goes and 2014's Reflections.
In 2016, Williams was beset with a series of health issues.
He was forced to postpone his tour in order to have hip replacement surgery, ultimately cancelling the tour and announcing his retirement from live performances last March. In 2017, an eclectic group of performers including Dierks Bentley, Brandy Clark and Jason Isbell showed their appreciation for Williams' work on the tribute album Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams.
The funeral arrangements are pending.
MSN.COM
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