Don Williams, nicknamed the Gentle Giant for his soft-spoken manner and warm baritone, is one of the most revered country singers from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Williams reached the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart 17 times with such chart-toppers as “You’re My Best Friend,” “I’m Just a Country Boy,” Tulsa Time,” “I Believe in You,” “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” and “If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do),” all delivered in his understated, intimate tone.
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Now, nearly a decade after his 2017 death, Concord’s catalog division, Craft Recordings, is releasing Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes, a May 29 collection of recently discovered recordings by Williams captured between 1979 and 1984 but never released.
So named because the reel-to-reel recordings were literally discovered in the basement of his family’s Tennessee home, the original tapes were turned over to Garth Fundis, Williams’ longtime co-producer, who completed the songs by bringing past colleagues and some of Williams’ bandmates into the studio. He reconstructed certain musical tracks that had started to deteriorate and brought in such key Williams collaborators as bassist Joe Allen and drummer Kenny Malone to fill in and enhance. Remarkably, Williams’ original vocals are intact on the set.
The songs weren’t shelved because Williams wasn’t happy with the result; they just didn’t match the tone of the albums he was working on at the time, Fundis says.
“Don liked every one of these songs,” Fundis said in a statement. “I remember recording all of them, and all of them met his approval. He was very particular about the songs he recorded and the sound we created for each of them. If a song didn’t make an album, it wasn’t because he didn’t like it. It’s because of how the songs fit together to create an album. He’d be thrilled to know that people could hear him sing new songs they didn’t know existed. Don would be proud of this album.”
The first release from the collection, “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” which Billboard is premiering below, features Williams bringing his classic unpretentious, graceful vocals to the cinematic tale of a runaway daughter who takes up with “a travelin’ man,” and her parents who can’t abide her decision.
Williams’ version draws high praise from its co-writer, Rodney Crowell, who penned the song with Donivan Cowart, and the Oak Ridge Boys took to No. 1 in 1980. “Don Williams’ version of ‘Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight’ outshines my version by a mile,” he says. “It brought me close to tears. I’m humbled by the simple truth and beauty of his performance. And sad that he’s no longer with us. He was truly one of a kind.”
Williams’ son, Tim, served as the set’s executive producer. “These songs dad recorded are — as music can be — a time machine,” he said in a statement. “Obviously, I grew up always hearing what he was doing. He’d bring home three to four songs at a time from the album he was working on at different stages. In working on this project, we tried above all to stay true to how dad approached production, made much easier for me with Garth’s involvement, and then just to stay out of the way of the music.”
Keith Urban, who has long sung Williams’ praises, tells Billboard what made Williams so special and why fans will undoubtedly be eager to hear the new music. “For me, the greatest male voice in country music has always been Don Williams,” Urban says. “His albums are also among the finest examples of not only great songs, but superb record making. Raw, honest, and timeless. I’m particularly partial to the Garth Fundis and Don produced albums. What Don and Garth created together with those session players is unlike any other artist anywhere. Put on my No. 1 fave album of theirs, Portrait, ideally with killer headphones, turn off the lights, close your eyes, and you’ll know exactly what I mean. You’ll fall into a sonic spell truly unique in this songwriting and record-making town.”
In the project’s liner notes, former Billboard country editor Ed Morris quotes Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young, who said upon Williams’ 2010 induction: “Williams offered calm, beauty, and a sense of wistful peace that is in short supply these days. His music will forever be a balm in troublesome times. Everyone who makes country music with grace, intelligence, and ageless intent will do so while standing on the shoulders of this gentle giant.”
Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes Tracklist
1. Try Me Again
2. You Came True
3. I’m The One (Alternate Version)
4. Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight
5. I Wish I Was Crazy Again
6. I’m In Love For My Last Time
7. Spinning Around
8. A Matter Of Time
9. I’m The One (Original Version)
10. How Can I Miss What I Never Had
11. Goldy’s Gone From Golden
12. Growing On Me