IF YOU GOWhat: Don Williams in concert.When: 7 p.m. Sunday.Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.Admission: $29.50 to $49.50.Phone: 642-TIXS, 757-5050.Website: www.ChattanoogaOnStage.com.
Don Williams, country music's "Gentle Giant," will wrap up the first third of his 2012 tour Sunday at the Tivoli Theatre. Next month, he will begin a series of 15 dates in Ireland and the United Kingdom before returning to finish up the year in the States.
Williams' collection of hits include several standards: "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good," "It Must Be Love," "Tulsa Time," "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend," "I Believe in You," "Good Ole Boys Like Me" and "You're My Best Friend."
Here, from various online sources, are five things you might not know about the singer.
• He's almost 73. Williams was born May 27, 1939, in Floydada, Texas, and grew up around Corpus Christi. He won first prize, an alarm clock, in his first public performance, a local talent show, when he was 3 years old.
• He wasn't always a solo artist. Early on, he and Lofton Kline formed a semi-professional folk group called the Strangers Two, which eventually became the Pozo-Seco Singers with the addition of Susan Taylor. They had major pop hits with "Time," "I Can Make It With You" and "Look What You've Done." When the group disbanded in 1971, Williams started his solo career.
• He "retired" six years ago. Williams announced his "Farewell Tour of the World" in early 2006 and played numerous dates in the United States and abroad before the Final Farewell Concert in Memphis that November.
• He missed his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Upon the announcement of his selection in February 2010, Williams called it "the biggest honor of my life." But when the ceremony took place in October, he was suffering from bronchitis and couldn't attend. His manager picked up the medallion on his behalf.
• He is still earning accolades. In November 2011, Williams was honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, one of three major performing rights societies, at Nashville's Opryland Hotel. He was presented with ASCAP's Golden Note award for extraordinary career milestones. He sang two classic hits for the crowd.