Williams, Tommy

Fiddle player whose dad sent him away at thirteen years of age to work with Ferlin Husky in Bakersfield, California. When Ferlin relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, Tommy followed suit. The two continued to collaborate until the mid-1950s, and Tommy found himself in demand as a session musician.

He was a member of Charley Pride’s Pridesmen, Faron Young’s Country Deputies, and the bandleader of George Jones’ house band, which performed at the Possum Holler Club.

In 1969, he took a part-time gig on the country music variety show, Hee Haw. He also filled in part-time on The Johnny Cash Show, from 1971 to 1974. In 1974, he went full-time on Hee Haw and remained on the program for almost two decades.

He appeared on many recordings during the ‘70s, including Guy Clark’s Texas Cookin’, Waylon Jennings’ Honky Tonk Heroes, Ronnie Milsap’s Night Things, Bill Monroe’s Uncle Pen, and Gene Watson’s Beautiful Country and Should I Come Home.

In the 1980s, he was a member of the Nashville Cats and released his solo debut album, Forever Fiddlin’. He also made the cut on Guy Clark’s Greatest Hits in 1983.

He remained in Nashville through the early 1990s, before taking a full-time gig with the Old Dominion Opry in Williamsburg, Virginia.

You don’t have to look far to find Tommy’s name on a bluegrass or country-and-western record. Many of his recordings have been re-packaged on CDs such as The Essential Ray Price, The Excellent Sides of Swamp Dogg, Vol. 5, and The Music of Bill Monroe: 1936-1994.

Randy Barlow recordings
Dixie Man (J.L. Wallace/Terry Skinner/Ken Bell)

Sources:

Williams, Tommy

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