Brian Williams Fundraiser

                                       
                                      Brian Williams
                                         Fundraiser

When it comes to music, specifically in the gospel field, famed local drummer Brian Williams has truly seen it and done it all. Originally hailing from New Orleans’ 9th Ward long before Katrina made that part of the Crescent City infamous, Brian grew up playing music first on the streets and then in the clubs in a city that requires boys to become men early on if they are to make it on their storied stages. And make it he did, leaving his strong mark as a grooving back-beat in those jazz and blues laden haunts.

Discovered by Quincy Jones when he was just a teen, Williams was flown to L.A. to work with the famous producer as a session drummer, and then he migrated on from there to Jackson, MS; where he began an incredible journey in gospel music as first a drummer and later producer at legendary Malaco Records, working on on many gospel hits with big-time gospel artists like Mississippi Mass Choir, Bebe and CeCe Winans, The Jackson Southernaires, Andraé Crouch, and many, many others.

Williams parlayed that achievement into his own label, Glorious Records (now Glorious Music Group), and had continued achievements and even Grammy nominations for artists including Kim Stratton, Daniel Winans, and Tina Farbrique.

When the music business lulled in the late ‘90’s, Brian moved to south Alabama to work with gospel industry giant Integrity, based in Mobile, AL. Brian fell in love with the area and ultimately made it his full-time home. After leaving Integrity and the his many years of grinding in the music industry, Brian found much welcome on the local stages around the Gulf Coast area with local favorites like Triple Threat and Rhythm Intervention. Brian married Bayside Academy volley ball coach Monique Adams, who had skyrocketed from a local career back in the 80’s with McGill-Toolen to a scholarship and record-setting stint at LSU, and then onto international domination playing for world-famous teams in western Europe and all over the world. They were a beautiful, vibrant, loving and well-loved couple, but…

In early 2014, tragedy struck the Williams household when Brian fell ill and spent several months going in and out of area hospitals while they tried to find what was causing multiple maladies including intense pain and discomfort, accompanied by fluid retention and shortness of breath, and ultimately; congestive heart failure. Though only in his early 50’s and appearing to be in great physical condition, even able to pound out a solid groove on the drums for 4 hours shows night after night in the hot humid south, Brian’s heart was compromised, and the only cure was to get a new one.

He went through a battery of tests and regimens in Birmingham, and is now on the donor list for a heart—it is his only chance at survival. Brian is now medically unable to work. Their insurance falls short of meeting his many medical needs, and they are stretched beyond thin meeting the basics of their household, and still with kids in college to support as well. We are reaching out to the community on his behalf, and asking for a helping hand to get Brian through this hardship until a match is found, and his heart transplant is realized.
A benefit event is taking place at the Flora-bama, on the very stage where Brian and his group Rhythm Intervention entertained the masses for many shows. We come together there with all his musical brothers and sisters on the coast to support him with an afternoon of music and entertainment. And we invite you to join us, and to give in the name of love, to a good man who has lost his financial footing in the face of medical hardship. He has given us so much good music over the years---we are honored to pay him back in kind.