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One might think the boy from Goose Creek, Texas would be C&W, but
Johnny Williams loves all kinds of music. Some country, the traditional hard core like
Alan Jackson and Ray Price, he also loves jazz, old blues, new blues,
and the novelty tunes that he writes. Williams says all genres have
its own soul and if it's soulful he feels it.
"There's no way I can explain it," he says. "I was
not from a musical family. We didn't sing in the church choir. Never
picked cotton. Very few in my hometown even had a guitar much less
a band." Being captain of the high school basketball team was
his passion.
Yet, Johnny Williams, and his band, was king of the Houston dance
clubs before disco and DJs killed live club music. Even earlier,
Williams' recording of "Long Black Veil" made #1 in Houston
and was a regional hit.
He-e-r-e's Johnny again...
But it did all start in that tri-city area now known as Baytown.
His
first major influence was Joe Tex, the blues singer. Back then Joe
Tex was Joe Arrington. When he was a disc jockey at KREL he was
Jivin Joe. "His mother lived next door to my family. When
we were very young - he was 4 to 5 years older - we played lots
of games, mostly some kind of ball games. I heard a lot of his songs
and ideas as I was growing up. He would come by our house when he
was in jr. high, entertain us by singing, playing the piano and
telling jokes.
Joe was extremely funny.
He entertained all of
Baytown while in high school. We remained friends until he died
at age 49.
The last time I saw Joe I played in a foursome in an
Austin golf tournament with him, my sister Marian, and Darryl Royal.
At that time Joe suggested I record some of his songs. I've recorded
two and plan to do more.
My first remembrance of music that really turned me on was Glenn
Miller and Hank Williams Sr. But Johnny Williams also grew up
in the era when rock and roll was invented; black artists like Lloyd
Price, The Spiders, Johnny Ace were getting airplay. He was there
when the world heard of Elvis, the Beatles. "While most of
the kids grew up listening to The Beach Boys, I was listening to
Jimmy Smith, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, and Ray Charles, but I
can get goose bumps listening to George Jones, Tony Bennett, John
Coltrane or the Houston Symphony." I have so much respect for
those guys in the symphony.
He might have dreamed about music, but never did much about it until
college. "I only sang one time in public, in jr. high; my sister
played the piano. I sang, "I'm Yours" and won first place.
I never sang in public again until college."
Williams went to North Texas State to play basketball, but found
that was not his calling. For excitement, he turned to music. He
got together with his athletic-fraternity brother, Johnny
Nutting. Nutting played lead guitar while Williams played rhythm
guitar; Nutting did most of the singing and taught him the song "Long Black Veil," an old song originally recorded by
Lefty Frizzle.
We used to sing and play all night for all the beer
we could drink.
Nutting was definitely the star of the show. I
was just learning to play and sing.
Three years later, switching to the University of Texas, Williams
hung around with Joe Tex who by then was periodically working the
Austin music scene. "Before he made it big, we played a lot
of small towns in that area. He didn't really need me in his band
but I would go with him and play what little guitar I knew. When
he wasn't performing we would spend hours together at his motel
listening to music, hanging out and just having fun. He would stay
in Austin 2 or 3 weeks; leave; return 6 months later and we'd do
it again. My first trip to Nashville was because of Joe." The
audition with Joe Tex's manager didn't work out, but Williams later
did a commercial for Dutch Masters Cigars, which the manager instigated.
Joe Tex was a huge influence and I learned a great deal from him,
Johnny explains.
In Austin, Williams met H.L. Hubbard, who was a guitar player leading
a band called the Jets at a club on 12th Street called Charlie's
Playhouse. He was another huge influence. "He introduced me
to jazz and the Hammond B3, (which, along with the piano, is still
Williams'
favorite instrument). I'd wait until he got off around
midnight and go eat barbecue and then listen to music, or he'd teach
me guitar until the sun came up." H.L. and Johnny are still
great friends, and talk on the phone or visit on a regular basis.
In fact Williams spent so much time with the music he didn't get
to class. In despair, his mother sent him to a UT guidance counselor
to "get him on track." The recommendation: he wasn't ready
for college. He should get out there and play music as a profession.
Williams dropped out and joined the Air Force. Once again his music
came into play: his sergeant in basic training wanted to learn guitar ƒ think of the perks! "He would sneak me off base, bring civilian
clothes and take me to the clubs to sing."
After his discharge, Williams returned to Baytown. One night a friend
took him to the most popular club in Houston, Dome Shadows, and
had the bandleader call Williams up to sing a few songs. Neither
knew it happened to be the last night for the featured vocalist.
The band offered him the job. He took it. He didn't know the band
had a recording contract.
At 23 he recorded "Long Black Veil" as a backside record.
The all-night DJ at KILT - "you could get local airplay in
those day," he says - flipped it over. It became that runaway
local #1 hit.
Leaving the Dome Shadows, Williams went to work with Mickey Gilley
(before he was famous) at the Nesadel in Pasadena, Texas. Gilley
would sing the first 30 minutes of a set with his band. As featured
singer Williams would follow with 15 minutes, backed up by Gilley.
When Williams left the Nesadel, Johnny Lee took his place. If
I had stayed with Gilley I might have been in the Urban Cowboy and
recorded a song for the album. Johnny Lee has never thanked me for
giving up my job at the Nesadel,
Williams says with a grin.
He formed his own band immediately after leaving Gilley. After a
bunch of "really bad jobs," Williams worked his way up
to the upscale Southwest part of Houston. It was one of the first
bands in town doing dance music with horns and a "mellotron"
which sounded like real strings. Williams turned old fogies'
supper
clubs into vibrant after-dinner dance clubs. The Royal Coach Inn
had lines out the door and down the street. Then it was the Rubaiyat,
Spiro's, and other upper class clubs throughout the region. "The
Rubaiyat was famous all over Texas. Working and singing at the Rubaiyat
was the most fun I ever had."
Johnny Lee would occasionally come by and sit in with his band before
he recorded "Looking For Love." Mickey Newbury, a famous
songwriter, and Williams used to hang out in the late 60's. There
were times when Newbury used Williams as a sounding board for some
of the songs he wrote before he went to Nashville.
There was never a doubt in my mind that Newbury would make
it big. He wrote the prettiest melodies.
It was around this time
that Williams signed with Epic records. His producer while at Epic
was a keyboard player for Johnny Cash named Larry Butler. Butler
would eventually produce Kenny Rogers to stardom with Lucille.
One of the singles released by Epic was, "He'll Break Your
Heart." This record almost put Williams on top. Epic records
thought this record was going to be a hit for Williams in country
and pop. The song was later recorded by Tony Orlando and did become
a national hit.
Disco fever and recordings changed the club scene forever in 1978.
Urban Cowboy became the rage in 1980. Williams headed for Fool's
Gold where George Strait - before he made it real big - sang on
Willams' night off for a short time. Eventually Williams moved on
to Gilley's Honky Tonk in Pasadena for another four-year stint.
He did go on the road with Gilley a few times. Williams said he's
grateful that he got to see the entertainment world from that perspective
but didn't really enjoy the road. He went back to Gilley's as a
featured vocalist and the leader of the house band until he left
Gilley's in 1987.
Subsequently leaving Gilley's, he did some solo work, but eventually
quit singing in night clubs, got married and went into business.
He stayed out of the music business for 12 years. But music has
inevitably drawn him again. Now Williams says his music is his hobby.
Some people play golf or fish. I write, record music and do a lot
of reading. I hope to keep on singing and writing for a long time.
I've been extremely fortunate to work with the best musicians and
engineers in the recording industry and it sure has been a lot of
fun! If its true that it is a far greater thing to travel than
to arrive, its been a great ride. |
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