Franklin Delano Williams ( in

Smithdale, Mississippi Smithdale is an unincorporated community located in Amite County, Mississippi, United States. Smithdale is approximately south-southwest of Auburn on Mississippi Highway 570 and a part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...

– in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

) was an American

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

singer.

Musical career

As a child and during his early teens he joined the Southern Gospel Singers and later,

The Williams Brothers The Williams Brothers featuring Andy Williams were a singing quartet formed in the mid 1930s. They initially entertained on radio stations and later appeared in four musical films in the 1940s. After recording with Bing Crosby led to a nightc ...

The Jackson Southernaires

He teamed up with his brother Huey Williams in 1964, as part of

The Jackson Southernaires The Jackson Southernaires is an American traditional black gospel music group from Jackson, Mississippi, producer Frank Crisler formed the group in 1940, yet they did not become active until 1969, with the release of ''Too Late'' by Song Bird R ...

. After their debut release, ''Too Late'', they signed with ABC/Dunhill Records in 1972 and where they recorded ''Look Around'' and ''Save My Child''. Later the Southernaires signed to

Malaco Records Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Mel Waiters, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, La ...

. With Malaco they recorded ''Legendary Gentlemen'' (1979), ''Touch of Class'' (1981), and ''Down Home'' (1982). They won several awards during the 1980s. In 1979, while with the Jackson Southernaires, Frank became the executive producer and director of Gospel promotions at Malaco.

The Mississippi Mass Choir

Williams formed The Mississippi Mass Choir while serving as director of Gospel promotions at Malaco. With the company's support he began calling in personnel, including David R. Curry, who became Mississippi Mass Choir's music director. The choir's first album and video, ''The Mississippi Mass Choir, Live'', were recorded on under the leadership of Williams. Five weeks after this album was released, Billboard magazine licensed it as the Number 1 Spiritual album in America and it stayed on the Billboard charts for an uninterrupted 45 weeks, setting a new record for gospel recordings at that time. Williams and the choir recorded one live album with

James Moore (singer) Reverend James Moore Sr. (February 1, 1956 – June 7, 2000), born James Leslie Moore, was an American gospel artist. He died in 2000, aged 44. Career In his earlier days, Moore received much of his tutelage and artistic craft by gospel music l ...

in 1991, with the choir recording another live album with Moore in 1995, two years after Williams passed away. At the 9th annual James Cleveland GMWA Awards, the Mississippi Mass won the Choir of the Year-Contemporary, and Best New Artist of the Year-Traditional. They also took home 4

Stellar Awards A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the Gospel music, gospel music industry.Sagma< ...

in 1989.

Later career and death

Williams continued working in the Gospel music industry until his death from a heart attack on Monday, March 22, 1993. He had been suffering from a lung infection for about two years.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Frank D. American gospel singers 1947 births 1993 deaths People from Amite County, Mississippi Singers from Mississippi 20th-century American singers