Back by popular demand! Country Music Hall of Fame’s Don Williams returns to the Valley's intimate Celebrity Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 4th. Tickets ($45 and $55) are on sale at Celebrity Theatre or online at www.celebritytheatre.com. To charge by phone, call 602-267-1600 ext.1. All tickets are subject to a surcharge.

Don Williams has always been a man apart. No outlaw rhetoric, no Nashville schmooze, no rock 'n' roll with a twang, no gimmicks. Just simple honest songs honestly sung. With his laid-back, straightforward vocals and large, imposing build, Williams came to be known as "the Gentle Giant" of country. That nickname was bestowed on him in the early '70s, when he began a string of countrypolitan hits that ran into the early '90s.

Williams was born on May 27, 1939 in Floydada, Texas. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 Number One hits as well as 42 Top Tens. Such timeless classics included "I Wouldn't Want To Live If You Didn't Want Me," “I Believe In You,” “Tulsa Time,” “Good Ole Boys Like Me” and his signature sing-along “You’re My Best Friend.”

Williams was a leading proponent of the countrypolitan sound, which was a conscious attempt to crossover to the Pop charts; he made it seem like an absolutely natural progression. Possessed of a resonant, unaffected voice, his singing seemed as natural as mellow conversation. Throughout his career, he has been a friend and champion of songwriters, unafraid to tackle material that was offbeat or outside mainstream country. It didn't matter to him if a song was written by cult favorite John Prine or the legendary rock team Mick Jagger and Keith Richards; if Williams liked a tune, he recorded it.

There are few American classics these days, but Don Williams is certainly one of them. With a warm hickory baritone that balances strength with a gentle concern, he draws his listeners into the intimate world of an old friend.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Celebrity Theatre is conveniently located on 32nd St. just 4 blks. South of the Loop 202, at 440 N. 32nd St., in Phoenix.

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