Donald Ray Williams (May 27, 1939 – September 8, 2017) was an American country singer, songwriter, and 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 number one country hits. His straightforward yet smooth bass-baritone voice, soft tones, and imposing build earned him the nickname: “The Gentle Giant” . In 1975 Don Williams Starred in a movie with Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed called W.W and the Dixie Dance Kings.
Williams has had a strong influence over a variety of recording artists of different genres. His hits have been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Claude Russell Bridges, Lefty Frizzell, Josh Turner, Sonny James, Alison Krauss, Billy Dean, Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers, Lambchop, Alan Jackson, Tomeu Penya, Waylon Jennings, Pete Townshend and Tortoise with Bonnie “Prince” Billy. His music is also popular internationally, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Ukraine, India, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In 2010, the Country Music Association inducted Don Williams into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Don Williams among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios fire.