Born in Floydada Texas on May 27, 1939, the
celebrated country singer and songwriter grew up
in Portland, Texas in Nueces County and
graduated from Gregory-Portland High School in
1958. Williams singing career spanned 52 years
minus four years he went into early retirement
in 2007. Don's MCA single "Love Me Over Again"
came on the country charts Dec. 8, 1979 and was
at the top the week of Feb. 16,1980. It was his
21st charted song and his 10th No. 1. It was on
the charts for 16 weeks. His reassuring
mellow bass-baritone singing voice earned him the nickname “Gentle Giant of
Country Music.”
Williams joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1976
and was inducted into The Country Music Hall Of
Fame in 2010. He placed 56 songs on the country
charts between 1972 and 1992. Williams recorded
dozens of hit songs, including “Tulsa Time,”
“Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” and “It Must Be
Love.”
By 2010
Williams came out of retirement and was again
touring and producing new albums. In March 2016
Williams announced he was retiring again. The
76-year-old Williams said, "It's time to hang my
hat up and enjoy some quiet time at home".
Don Williams, one of the biggest stars in
country music in the 1970s and 1980's, died of
emphysema on Friday September 8, 2017 in Mobile,
Alabama. He was 78.
Photo of Don Williams in Chitose
Japan provided by
Lloyd O'Neal Moler on Facebook's Texas
Remembered Group.
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