My old man was a grand admirer of the American country singer Don Williams. We listened to his records a lot when I was growing up. I could understand years later why he liked him so. He perfected a smooth as silk vocal. When I hear his laid back style it evokes a ‘all is good with the world’ – air of contentment. Affectionately known as the ‘Gentle Giant’ Williams has had a strong influence over a variety of recording artists of different genres. In 2010, Don Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It saddened me to learn of this passing in 2017. He will feature quite a lot in this music library project, so I won’t overload you this being the first post.
According to wikipedia: “Amanda” (see video below) is a 1973 song written by Bob McDill and was first recorded and released as a single by Don Williams in the summer of 1973 as the flip side of his No. 12 hit “Come Early Morning.” Williams’ version reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Chris Stapleton covered this song on the 2017 tribute album to Don Williams “Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams”.
Additional References: Flashback: Don Williams Emerges as ‘the Gentle Giant’ With ‘Amanda’ – RollingStone.
Someone remarked on youtube about the below video: ‘Now this is real country. I wish we had guys like this on the radio these days‘.
I’ve held it all inward
Lord knows I’ve tried
It’s an awful awakenin’
In a country boy’s life
When you look in the mirror
In total surprise
At the hair on your shoulders
And the age in your eyes.
– Amanda
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
So cool! I really like Don. I met him many times and a more humble man you would never meet. He lived a few miles from me growing up. When he got bored he would mow the high school baseball field and the city park. A great talent.
He and Eric Clapton were good friends.
That’s wonderful you had met Don on many occasions. I feel grateful to read someone thoughts about him who actually knew him in person. I love that story of him doing community service when he got bored. That sense of generosity and humbleness seems to resonate in his music as well. I wouldn’t have imagined Clapton and him had even met let alone been good friends. Thanks for your invaluable contribution to this post Bad.
Clapton really started to admire Don in the mid to late seventies. That is when Eric started to do some country tinged songs like Lay Down Sally and Promises. He covered one of Don’s songs on Slowhand…We’re All The Way…
Don also donated heavily to charities and the local Churchs. He was a good guy. He was always nice to me and the people in town knew him but he never acted like he was anything special.
This gets more interesting as we dig deeper. Gee, I had forgotten about Lay Down Sally until you had mentioned it. I see what you mean about the Country influence in his music. One thing I want to focus on in a future post about Don is his musical influence which I understand was massive.
It’s so great to read how down to earth he was in person and admired by the town folk. It must have been surreal to see this guy just doing errands and going about his day. Although that persona transcends into his art as well.
I didn’t appreciate it until I was a teenager…I saw him more as a young kid and didn’t really think about how big he was then…
A lot of country stars lived in the county I live in back then. It was 30-40 minutes from Nashville and they had peace and quiet. Mel Tillis lived there also.
Randy Travis moved there in the 80s. I was just never into country much then. I remember Randy Travis riding a horse by my sister’s house and she went crazy… went down and talked to him…I told her…if Clapton came by on a horse….then I would go down there lol.
It was an interesting time. Tillis just passed away a few years ago and he lived around 5 miles from where I live now.
I can understand being that young you wouldn’t have appreciated just who it was you were seeing.. I’m afraid my knowledge of country artists and music is minuscule, but I have heard of Randy at least. That’s a funny story about your sister and how you would have done the same with Clapton! Haha. It must have been a beautiful moment for her. Can you imagine just how much these guys must get interrupted by fans in their daily lives?
I can see you lived right in the mix with some of the greats of country. Awesome.
You and Bad make me feel like a stray mongrel dog that’s accidentally walked into the expansive grounds of some upper class manor. I don’t know anyone famous – although I once saw “Tiny Tim” at the beach singing “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”!
Get out ya mutt.
Tiny Tim lol The beach of all places! That’s trippy.
[…] friend Matt (observationblogger) posted two songs (Amanda and I Recall A Gypsy Woman) by Don Williams and it reminded me of my memories of meeting Don […]