Farawayhills
Well-known member
Very sad to hear of the passing of Don Williams, one of the giants of our genre. His rich voice and steady, unhurried delivery marked much of what was most memorable in the classic male Country singers.
He had a particular link with the international Country community, touring so regularly overseas - in my opinion, one of the best ambassadors the genre ever had.
Earlier this year, his varied influence was shown when many later artists joined together to produce a tribute album to him, containing many of his trademark songs - "Gentle Giant" - highly recommended:
1. Tulsa Time - Pistol Annies
2. I Believe in You - Brandy Clark
3. We've Got a God Fire Goin' - Lady Antebellum
4. Some Broken Hearts Never Mend - Dierks Bentley
5. Amanda - Chris Stapleton Feat. Morgane Stapleton
6. Till the Rivers All Run Dry - Alison Krauss
7. Love Is on a Roll - John Prine Feat. Roger Cook
8. If I Needed You - Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
9. Maggie's Dream - Trisha Yearwood
10. Lord I Hope This Day Is Good - Keb' Mo'
11. Good Ole Boys Like Me - Garth Brooks.
Two of the songs he made famous seem particularly worth quoting - the gentle and inclusive anthem of love and hope, "I Believe in You" (written by Roger Cook & Sam Hogin)
"I don't believe in superstars
Organic food and foreign cars
I don't believe the price of gold
The certainty of growing old
That right is right and left is wrong
That north and south can't get along
That east is east and west is west
And being first is always best.
But I believe in love, I believe in babies
I believe in mom and dad, and I believe in you.
Well I don't believe that heaven waits
For only those who congregate
I like to think of God as love
He's down below, He's up above
He's watching people everywhere
He knows who does and doesn't care
And I'm an ordinary man
Sometimes I wonder who I am.
But I believe in love, I believe in music
I believe in magic, and I believe in you.
I know with all my certainty what's goin'
With you and me is a good thing
It's true, I believe in you."
----- and "Good Ole Boys Like Me", a thoughtful song that captures the spirit of the Old South, in a way that moves beyond a nostalgic lament, to also document its failings, the power of learning, and the inevitability of change (written by Bob McDill)
"When I was a kid Uncle Remus he put me to bed
With a picture of Stonewall Jackson above my head
Then daddy came in to kiss his little man
With gin on his breath and a Bible in his hand
He talked about honor and things I should know
Then he'd stagger a little as he went out the door
[Chorus]
I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we're all gonna be what we're gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me
Nothing makes a sound in the night like the wind does
But you ain't afraid if you're washed in the blood like I was
The smell of cape jasmine through the window screen
John R. and the Wolfman kept me company
By the light of the radio by my bed
With Thomas Wolfe whispering in my head
When I was in school I ran with kid down the street
But I watched him burn himself up on bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o'clock news
When I was eighteen, Lord, I hit the road
But it really doesn't matter how far I go"
Finally, there is on You Tube, a film of one of his last concerts, in Ireland last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jRdGlbjztg
RIP, Don
He had a particular link with the international Country community, touring so regularly overseas - in my opinion, one of the best ambassadors the genre ever had.
Earlier this year, his varied influence was shown when many later artists joined together to produce a tribute album to him, containing many of his trademark songs - "Gentle Giant" - highly recommended:
1. Tulsa Time - Pistol Annies
2. I Believe in You - Brandy Clark
3. We've Got a God Fire Goin' - Lady Antebellum
4. Some Broken Hearts Never Mend - Dierks Bentley
5. Amanda - Chris Stapleton Feat. Morgane Stapleton
6. Till the Rivers All Run Dry - Alison Krauss
7. Love Is on a Roll - John Prine Feat. Roger Cook
8. If I Needed You - Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
9. Maggie's Dream - Trisha Yearwood
10. Lord I Hope This Day Is Good - Keb' Mo'
11. Good Ole Boys Like Me - Garth Brooks.
Two of the songs he made famous seem particularly worth quoting - the gentle and inclusive anthem of love and hope, "I Believe in You" (written by Roger Cook & Sam Hogin)
"I don't believe in superstars
Organic food and foreign cars
I don't believe the price of gold
The certainty of growing old
That right is right and left is wrong
That north and south can't get along
That east is east and west is west
And being first is always best.
But I believe in love, I believe in babies
I believe in mom and dad, and I believe in you.
Well I don't believe that heaven waits
For only those who congregate
I like to think of God as love
He's down below, He's up above
He's watching people everywhere
He knows who does and doesn't care
And I'm an ordinary man
Sometimes I wonder who I am.
But I believe in love, I believe in music
I believe in magic, and I believe in you.
I know with all my certainty what's goin'
With you and me is a good thing
It's true, I believe in you."
----- and "Good Ole Boys Like Me", a thoughtful song that captures the spirit of the Old South, in a way that moves beyond a nostalgic lament, to also document its failings, the power of learning, and the inevitability of change (written by Bob McDill)
"When I was a kid Uncle Remus he put me to bed
With a picture of Stonewall Jackson above my head
Then daddy came in to kiss his little man
With gin on his breath and a Bible in his hand
He talked about honor and things I should know
Then he'd stagger a little as he went out the door
[Chorus]
I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we're all gonna be what we're gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me
Nothing makes a sound in the night like the wind does
But you ain't afraid if you're washed in the blood like I was
The smell of cape jasmine through the window screen
John R. and the Wolfman kept me company
By the light of the radio by my bed
With Thomas Wolfe whispering in my head
When I was in school I ran with kid down the street
But I watched him burn himself up on bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o'clock news
When I was eighteen, Lord, I hit the road
But it really doesn't matter how far I go"
Finally, there is on You Tube, a film of one of his last concerts, in Ireland last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jRdGlbjztg
RIP, Don
