Tony Williams (drummer)

Tony Williams
A black-and-white photo of Williams
Williams in a 1964 advertisement
Background information
Birth nameAnthony Tillmon Williams
Born(1945-12-12)December 12, 1945
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OriginBoston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedFebruary 23, 1997(1997-02-23) (aged 51)
Daly City, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • producer
  • bandleader
InstrumentDrums
Years active1961–1997

Anthony Tillmon Williams (December 12, 1945 – February 23, 1997)[1] was an American jazz drummer. Williams first gained fame as a member of Miles Davis' "Second Great Quintet", and later pioneered jazz fusion with Davis' group and his own combo, the Tony Williams Lifetime.[2] In 1970, music critic Robert Christgau described him as "probably the best drummer in the world."[3] Williams was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1997.[4]

  1. ^ "Tony Williams | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Profile". AllMusic. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "Robert Christgau: Consumer Guide (9): Apr. 23, 1970". Robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ "Modern Drummer's Readers Poll Archive, 1979–2014". Modern Drummer. Retrieved August 10, 2015.