Thursday, July 17, 2008

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST Song Of The Day-Lenny Williams

Artist:Lenny Williams

Song:Think What You Have

Album:Spark Of Love









Lenny Williams has been around since the early 70s but he's probably best known for his three years as lead singer of Tower Of Power. He was born Feb. 6, 1945 in Little Rock, AR and moved to Oakland, CA with his family. He grew up singing in church and was planning to become a minister when he got a taste for secular music and signed with Fantasy Records in 1969. He recorded a couple of singles and moved to Atlantic. He recorded the Thom Bell/Linda Creed classic People Make The World Go Round but The Stylistics released their version first and had a hit with it. Meanwhile, Tower Of Power was looking for a replacement when lead singer Rick Stevens was convicted of murder. Williams joined and established his credentials while with the group. He left to go solo in 1975. He had recorded a solo album for Warner Bros. while still with Tower Of Power and the released an album on Motown in 1975. But Williams had his biggest success after signing with ABC Records in 1977. The 1978 album Spark Of Love was his biggest hit including the hit ballad Cause I Love You. Think What You Have is another great ballad. The album was produced by Motown veteran Frank Wilson. Spark Of Love was rereleased by MCA as a budget CD in 1995 with the hit Shoo Doo Fu Fu Ooh! thrown in. Williams remained with MCA after they purchased ABC but things petered out in the 80s. Williams sang lead on the 1987 Kenny G hit Don't Make Me Wait For Love. Lenny Williams still tours today and his latest CD It Must Be Love was released on his own label in Jan. 2007. Here's Lenny Williams performing So Very Hard To Go on KTVU San Francisco Sept. 1, 2001.

Lenny Williams "So Very Hard To Go" - Live

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