Tony Williams (singer)
Tony Williams | |
|---|---|
 Tony Williams (second from left) as part of The Platters in 1955 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Edward Williams |
| Born | April 5, 1928 Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 1992 (aged 64) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Doo-wop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1953–1992 |
| Labels | Mercury, Reprise, Philips |
Samuel Edward "Tony" Williams (April 5, 1928 – August 14, 1992)[1] was an American singer. From 1953 to 1960,[2] he was the lead vocalist of the Platters.[3]
Life and career
Williams was born in
Williams came to the attention of
The group continued to record and perform locally, occasionally supporting Linda Hayes, until late 1955 when they were signed by
In a dispute over money, Williams left the Platters in 1959 to pursue a solo career, and continued to work with Ram as his manager.[5][7] He recorded an LP, A Girl Is A Girl Is A Girl, but his career faltered after he was arrested on a morals charge, of which he was later cleared. He continued to perform with the Platters intermittently until 1960 but then won a legal action against Ram which allowed him to formally leave the group. He signed as a solo singer for Reprise Records in 1961, recording Tony Williams Sings His Greatest Hits, including re-recordings of some of the Platters' songs, but returned to Philips Records the following year. He released the album The Magic Touch Of Tony in 1962, and the same year overdubbed vocals for a Platters record, Encore Of Broadway Golden Hits. However, by this time music buyers' tastes had changed, and Williams' voice had lost some of its appeal.[6]
He married Helen Williams in 1963. He later performed with his own, unauthorized version of the Platters, known as the International Platters, which also featured his wife. Musical Director William Gulino worked with Tony Williams and the Platters from 1978 to 1992.
Williams was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Platters in 1990. He developed diabetes and died in Manhattan of emphysema on August 14, 1992.[2]
Solo discography
- Magic Touch of Tony – Philips PHM-200-051 (mono)/Philips PHS-600-051 (stereo) – 1962
- A Girl Is a Girl Is A Girl – Mercury SR-60138 – 1969 (previously Mercury MG 20454 – 1961)
- Tony Williams Sings His Greatest Hits – Gold Dust Records Dust 934 (Italy) – 1994
- The Voice of The Platters – Vintage Music −2014
Sources
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b "Tony Williams, 64; Platters' Lead Singer". The New York Times. 1992-08-16. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ^ a b Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 5 - Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The rock revolution gets underway. [Part 1]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
- ^ a b Laurence Staig, "Obituary: Tony Williams", The Independent, 18 August 1992. Retrieved 15 September 2021
- ^ a b B. Lee Cooper, Review of "Tony Williams—The Signature Voice of The Platters: Volume One, 1955–1961", Audio Review, 22 August 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021
- ^ a b c Marv Goldberg, "The Platters", UncaMarvy.com. Retrieved 15 September 2021
- ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 14 – Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 4]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
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