Cover art: Don Williams, 'Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes'
Listening to Don Williams, known as country music’s “Gentle Giant” for his humble nature, serene songs and velvet baritone, is a balm for the soul. The Texas-born singer-songwriter became one of the most successful country stars of the 1970s and ’80s without a trace of flash or gimmicks: just one unmistakable voice and the plainspoken poetry of songs like “I Believe in You,” “Til the Rivers All Run Dry,” “Come Early Morning” and “Amanda.”
Williams, who died at the age of 78 in 2017, spent his career in service of songs, so it’s fitting that some of his best tunes were never even heard by his legions of fans — until now. Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes, out May 29 via Craft Recordings, is a collection of previously unreleased tracks from the country legend.
The existence of the recordings wasn’t exactly a surprise to the Williams family. Don Williams’ son Tim Williams, who serves as executive producer on the album, had known the multitrack tapes were stashed beneath the living room floorboards of his childhood home in rural Tennessee. But upon finally listening to the recordings and discovering that the clarity of his dad’s golden voice still remained intact even after more than 30 years in storage, Tim Williams knew they needed to be shared with the public. While the vocal performances and some instrumental performances were usable, other instrumental tracks were unable to be restored, and he began the work of reconstructing what had deteriorated with newly recorded performances. When it came time to mix the album, Tim Williams turned to his dad’s friend and longtime producer Garth Fundis.
In November 1969, the record producer, songwriter and businessman Cowboy Jack Clement opened a recording studio on Nashville’s Belmont Bouleva…
Fundis, who’s produced hit records for Keith Whitley, Alabama and more, got his start working at Jack Clement Recording Studios, known today as Sound Emporium, while Williams was recording his first album. Their quick friendship would soon grow into one of the most foundational partnerships of both men’s careers.
“Tim said, ‘Come listen and hear the vocals and then tell me you’re not excited.’ So I did,” Fundis tells the Scene. “It was exciting for me to wind back in my memories of when we recorded some of those songs.”
Together, Fundis and Tim Williams recruited members of Don Williams’ touring band to perform what needed to be retracked; some of the original performances you’ll hear are by great players who have since passed away. The final result includes Joe Allen on bass, Kenny Malone on drums and Charles Cochran on strings, piano and organ. The album also features performances from legendary steel player Lloyd Green as well as guitarists Jimmy Colvard, Dave Kirby and Billy Sanford, alongside new tracks from Tim Williams.
Recorded at the height of Don Williams’ career between 1979 and 1984, the songs on Epilogue exemplify his greatness. “I’m the One,” penned by Williams and Wayland Holyfield, had long been a favorite of Tim’s. He produced an alternate version of the song for the album, reimagining the musical elements of the tune for a more stripped-down production that puts the focus on his dad’s vocals.
“Daddy would bring home stuff at various stages when he was working on an album,” Williams recalls. “I had the cassette of that song, [and] I rode around and listened to it 40 years ago. I always really liked the song. I didn’t understand why it wasn’t on an album.”
Williams’ version of “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” is another standout. Written by Rodney Crowell and Donivan Cowart, the song was originally recorded by Emmylou Harris in 1978 and made famous by The Oak Ridge Boys the following year. The song’s prevalence on the country charts may have contributed to Williams’ decision not to release his version at the time. Now, nearly 50 years later, Williams’ delivery of the country classic feels like a gift from the beyond.
Williams’ long-standing reputation as an ace purveyor of country songs is on full display throughout the album. The music is quintessential Don Williams, down to the songwriters featured on the record — most notably Country Music Hall of Famer Bob McDill, who penned some of Williams’ most beloved songs, including “Good Ole Boys Like Me.” The stellar McDill compositions “How Can I Miss What I Never Had” and “I Wish I Was Crazy Again,” previously recorded by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, are highlights of the album.
“[Don] taught me a lot about the quality of good songs,” Fundis says. “He gave me not just his friendship, but a philosophical look at music and the reason to record certain songs.”
Posthumous albums can often feel unfinished or raise concerns about altering artistic intent. That’s not the case with Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes, which is crafted with such care for Don Williams’ legacy it sounds like it could be a long-lost record plucked from the early ’80s. Both Tim Williams and Fundis say that’s by design.
“I think [fans] will be relieved to know that [the album] doesn’t sound like filler or something that got tossed away,” Fundis says. “The songs are great. It’s from some of the same songwriters that Don went back to over the years, and there’s really some quality performances in Don’s vocals in particular.”
