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Paul WIlliams

Behind Standing Tall and Tough

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Standing Tall & ToughDoyle Lawson, J.D. Crowe and Paul Williams Standing Tall and Tough.

The good folks at Mountain Home Music have released a behind the scenes peek at the making of Standing Tall & Tough, the new collaboration from three icons of Bluegrass: J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams.

Capturing the traditional drive, emotion and feel of 1950’s and 60’s Bluegrass, the trio presents songs that they helped to make classic.

Standing Tall and Tough may appear to some as boisterous or even belligerent, but it’s not. To J.D., Paul, and me, it means that after all the years of being involved in music, the love we have for it hasn’t diminished at all. The joy of being onstage or in the recording studio is a feeling beyond words for us – Doyle Lawson.

In a world where everyone is searching for the next new thing, it’s significant for three artists who have been on the forefront of this music for decades to continue to deliver with excellence and innovation.

Standing Tall & Tough is available at: iTunes and Amazon.

Paul Williams to Bluegrass Hall of Fame

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Bean Blossom has announced Paul Williams as is this year’s inductee into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame taking place Saturday, 22nd September, 2012.

Paul’s legendary career began with The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers in the 1950s. He then went on to become one of Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In August of 1963, Paul retired from the Bluegrass circuit, but continued to write songs and play in churches and radio broadcasts for the next thirty-three years. In 1995, Paul formed the Victory Trio with the band’s big break coming with their 2000 Grammy nomination for their album, Old Ways & Old Paths that was re-released on Rebel Records. Paul Williams and the Victory Trio have continued to release great bluegrass gospel albums throughout the years and have garnered numerous other awards and nominations throughout their impressive career.

Emcees for The 38th Annual Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Uncle Pen Days Festival are the Legendary Tommy Lamb and George Riddle.

Each festival ticket includes: admission to the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Country Star Museum and Uncle Pen’s cabin tour, plus all music and instrument workshops. There will be plenty of food concessions and merchants. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the fun. Shows take place rain or shine.

For more information including tickets, directions and complete schedule, please visit BeanBlossom.US. The 38th Annual Bill Monroe Hall of Fame & Uncle Days is sponsored by: Martin Guitar, Dillman Furniture, and Hope River Entertainment.

Now in its 38th year, Bean Blossom is one of the oldest bluegrass festivals in the world. One of Bill Monroe’s role models was his fiddle playin’ Uncle Pendleton Vandiver, whom he paid tribute to in the hit song Uncle Pen. Bill created the honorary Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Uncle Pen Days festival to not only honor is Uncle Pen, but to pay tribute to those he felt made contributions to bluegrass music.

Going to Stay in the Old-Time Way

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12th Rebel recording Going To Stay in the Old-Time Way Due 31st July.

Rebel Records is proud to announce the release of Paul Williams’ twelfth album for the label, Going to Stay in the Old-Time Way, on 31st July 2012.

Paul Williams and his band the Victory Trio are a fixture on the Bluegrass Gospel circuit and have a significant following in the Southern Gospel field as well, and since Paul’s return to the music world in 1999 he has consistently raised the bar high in both genres. His recordings deliver a hard drive, an emotional touch, and passionate vocals. The result is both great Bluegrass and an inspiring statement of faith.

The album features a mixture of inspiring contemporary Bluegrass gospel songs, including three written by Paul himself, along with superb renditions of songs written by such well known writers as Dottie Rambo, Dee Gaskin and Albert Brumley. The song “Help Me Lord” by C.P. Short is featured as another of Paul’s masterful contributions to the tradition of primitive quartet singing. The final song, “What a Time in Heaven,” is reinterpreted from the classic gospel group, the Cooke Duet.

Williams needs no introduction to long-time fans of Bluegrass music. Having started a musical career in the very early days of the genre as a member of the legendary Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, Williams went on to become a key part of Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys, playing mandolin and singing tenor in the best known version of Martin’s band, with J.D. Crowe on banjo.

Known for his powerful and distinctive tenor voice and his mandolin playing, Williams is also noted as a prolific and excellent songwriter, having written a good percentage of Jimmy Martin’s hits, as well as songs that have been recorded by such major artists as Ray Charles, Ernest Tubb, and Hank Williams Jr.

Paul Williams is one of the very few artists to have had two different but highly successful musical careers. One of Bluegrass music’s true pioneers, the native of East Tennessee returned to active touring and recording in 1999, with the first of the dozen records he has recorded for Rebel, the classic Old Ways & Old Paths album.

If Going to Stay in the Old-Time Way is any indication, Paul won’t be slowing down any time soon.

Old Friends Get Together – CD Release

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Old Friends – J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams.

There are few people around today who have had more influence on new and emerging bluegrass musicians over the years that both Doyle Lawson and JD Crowe.

J.D. Crowe and Doyle Lawson have teamed up with Paul Williams to deliver a collection of Gospel favourites which they performed during their stint as members of Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain boys.

Doyle Lawson went to Nashville and got a job playing banjo with Jimmy Martin as Sunny Mountain Boys in 1966, while both J. D. Crowe and Paul Williams were earlier members on the Sunny Mountain Boys from around 1955.

The track listed on the album are:

  1. Prayer Bells of Heaven
  2. Goodbye
  3. The Little White Church
  4. Stormy Waters
  5. Pray the Clouds Away
  6. When the Savior Reached Down for Me
  7. This World Is Not My Home
  8. Voice of My Savior
  9. Lord I’m Coming Home
  10. Give Me Your Hand
  11. Shake Hands With Mother Again
  12. Who’ll Sing For Me

Read a review on Lonesome Road Reviews.