Ricky Williams (October 4, 1956
– November 21, 1992),
also known as Ricky Tractor, was an American musician based in San Francisco. He is best known as a vocalist and lyricist, but also played drums and guitar.
He was the second drummer for
Crime (1976–77), the original singer for
Flipper (1979) and
The Sleepers (1977–81), and vocalist for
Toiling Midgets (1981–83). He has been credited with giving Flipper their band name, although he was fired before they made any recordings. Williams died at the age of 36 on November 21, 1992, of a heroin overdose.
Early life
Williams was born in
Palo Alto, California, on October 4, 1956.
His father was Robert Williams, and he had one sister, named Kathie Lee.
His father was gay, and according to
The Sleepers' guitarist Michael Belfer, his father's homosexuality had a huge impact on Williams, as he was
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
. He was also known to indulge in
substance abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
throughout his life, including
speed,
LSD and
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
.
Career
In 1976, Williams was the drummer and an early member of
Crime (where he was called "Ricky Tractor"), until he was kicked out in 1977 for his "inconsistencies" both on his instrument and in his personality.
In 1979, he was a founding member of
Flipper. He sang vocals, and was the one who named the band,
but was fired "for being too weird"
before the band had released any recordings. He was invited that year by Michael Belfer to become the vocalist for
The Sleepers, which released one
EP, one single and one album before breaking up in 1981. After the breakup of The Sleepers, he joined
Toiling Midgets as vocalist from 1981 until 1983.
Personal life
Towards the end of his life, Williams lived with his mother in
Mountain View, California. His mother was killed in a car accident, and a year and two months later, Williams himself was dead.
At the time of his death, he was
remaster
Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used.
Mastering
A ...
ing his recorded work for re-release. He had been suffering from
respiratory disease and died in his sleep on November 21, 1992. He was survived by his father, sister, and a son named Zachary;
Zachary later performed with his father's former bandmates in Negative Trend, performing some of his father's songs.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Ricky
1992 deaths
Deaths by heroin overdose in California
American punk rock singers
American punk rock drummers
American male drummers
Musicians from Palo Alto, California
1956 births
American male singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters from California
Writers from Palo Alto, California
20th-century American singers
20th-century American drummers
Flipper (band) members
20th-century American male singers