Official Website for Singer / Songwriter Beth Williams

Winner MusicAustin's Austin's Best Albums Award for 2001
 

Beth Williams
by: Virginia DeBolt

Beth Williams' is a Texas-based singer / songwriter who writes and sings her own songs, and runs her own label, Willow Creek Records. Her acoustic, creative abilities as a guitarist and her original approach erases musical boundaries, as she builds an eclectic bridge between folk, Americana, country, blues, pop, Indian- bluegrass and roots music. Lloyd Maines and Terri Hendrix decided to produce Beth's 2001 CD, In This Old House. Bill Conner of KNBT in San Marcos, TX says "Beth's songs are not written as much as crafted, her soaring vocals add just the right amount of electricity to each track. When you hear her psychedelic yodel-chants on Track 5, you'll laugh out loud, and you'll be hooked for good."

In This Old House offers up twelve original Beth Williams' tunes. This woman has great pipes and the songwriting talent to go with them. Beth Williams has a lot of things to say, and not all of them follow the expected country style of saying. The title song is a chatty yet beautifully sung celebration of the good luck of finding love. Several songs on the album feel like a celebration, in fact, with many messages of hope and encouragement delivered with upbeat good cheer. However, she's not blind to the darker side of life, as This Farm proves with its admonition, "city man get your city hands far from this farm, go back where you belong." The lament in A ladder I can Climb sounds utterly genuine as she pleads, "throw me a line, send me a ladder I can climb." The Girl has a definite "this sure ain't Nashville" quality, with effects you might expect on an Ani DeFranco album. To top off the album, there is a bonus track sung in Chinese by Jamie Wu. This is a multi-dimensional album worth the listening.

One Empty Chair, her second album, is all original songs. She tours a lot and has been all over the world. This Texas gem is extremely popular in Sweden!

Beth was born on Ramey Air Force Base, in Puerto Rico. The nomadic life of the military led her family to Pakistan, the Philippines, Texas, Georgia, and Okinawa, all before she turned seventeen. Beth's passion for singing and songwriting began as a child. She says, "Between tours of duty, we'd fly into San Francisco and drive to Georgia to visit relatives. We couldn't afford an air conditioned car and it was always a long, hot dusty drive.I made up songs to pass the time, hung my head out the window and sang them into the wind where no one could hear."

Immediately after graduating from high school, she began her musical career, touring Central Texas, military bases, and overseas. Although still living in Texas, her musical journey led to recording in Nashville, where she was embraced with her debut, First Class. She charted three songs from her 1987 album, First Class, in Billboard and Cashbox magazines. That year she also walked off with a nomination as "Best New Female Vocalist of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music.

Wanting more artistic control, and "voice" in her own music, she walked away from her recording projects and relocated with her family to the hill country near Mason, Texas. She soon released One Empty Chair, which was recorded "live" in the studio in one day. This CD charted on Gavin and solidified Beth's place in the Texas music scene.

Beth continues to build her fan base via the Internet and touring. Beth Williams passionate belief in her call to music has been the driving force in her life. She says, "It's important to me to use my musical gifts and abilities to help those around me through the songs I sing and the message those songs deliver." That attitude is apparent in the special music and exercise programs she developed for the elderly. Nursing Homes, Retirement Centers, and Hospitals have been able to use her music to further healing. Health South Rehabilitation Hospital of Austin sings her praises, "Her thoughts are constantly to help patients. We are very appreciative of the positive benefit that her music has caused."

You can contact her for bookings or sign up for her mailing list to keep up with her appearance