Performances on Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams Donated in Support of MusiCares®
Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Alison Krauss, Lady Antebellum, Keb’ Mo’, Pistol Annies, John Prine, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and Trisha Yearwood All Perform on Album in Honor of the Country Music Legend
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Williams announced his retirement from performing last year, concluding an impressive five-decade career that includes two CMA Awards, two ACM Awards and 17 No. 1 hits. In honor of his legendary career, Williams’ longtime producer and friend Garth Fundis has produced a tribute album, Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams, featuring an all-star lineup of artists includingDierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Alison Krauss, Lady Antebellum, Keb’ Mo’, Pistol Annies, John Prine, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and Trisha Yearwood. The 11-track album will be released on Slate Creek Records on Friday, May 26, in honor of Williams’ birthday the following day.
“It has been my privilege to work frequently with Don through the years, and I’m proud to honor him with this new project,” said Fundis. “All of the artists on the album have been huge Don Williams fans for years. It makes the entire project very personal and very meaningful.”
All guest artist performances on the album were generously donated in support of MusiCares®, the charitable foundation created by The Recording Academy, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for those in the music field in times of need. The services cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies. The foundation will receive a majority of the proceeds from the sale of the album.
Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams Track Listing:
1. “Tulsa Time” – Pistol Annies
2. “I Believe in You” – Brandy Clark
3. “We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin'” – Lady Antebellum
4. “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” – Dierks Bentley
5. “Amanda” – Chris Stapleton feat. Morgane Stapleton
6. “Till The Rivers All Run Dry” – Alison Krauss
7. “Love Is On A Roll” – John Prine feat. Roger Cook
8. “If I Needed You” – Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
9. “Maggie’s Dream” – Trisha Yearwood
10. “Lord I Hope This Day is Good” – Keb’ Mo’
11. “Good Ole Boys Like Me” – Garth Brooks
Williams charted 56 records and scored at least one major hit every year between 1974 and 1991. He won the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award in 1978 and the CMA Album of the Year Award (for I Believe in You) in 1981. His smash hit “Tulsa Time” was the ACM Single of the Year Award winner in 1978; the organization would present him with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award in 2006. Readers of the London-based Country Music People magazine voted him Artist of the Decade in 1980. The Texas native earned country music’s highest honor in 2010 when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Among his best loved songs are “Tulsa Time,” “It Must Be Love,” “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “I Believe in You,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend,” “I Wouldn’t Want to Live If You Didn’t Love Me,” “Till the Rivers All Run Dry,” “Lay Down Beside Me,” “Love Me Over Again,” “(Turn Out the Light and) Love Me Tonight,” “Say It Again,” “Love is On a Roll,” “We Got a Good Fire Goin’,” “I Wouldn’t Be a Man,” “Then It’s Love,” and “Heartbeat in the Darkness.”