3 Chord Truths - Jack Williams

We continue with an amazing episode of our series “3 Chord Truths”, where we have been talking to songwriters and musicians, and have been able to sit down with some very interesting personalities, with cool backstories that reveal what it takes to follow the dream of being a success in the music business.

Tonight’s guest is Jack Williams. He has an amazing story that spans many years, and shows that tenacity, talent, and some luck can help create some amazing opportunities. Jack’s list of friends and acquaintances, people he has worked for and with reads as a who’s who from different types of music genres. The Who, Ritchie Havens, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Uriah Heap, the Allman Brothers, Kevin Costner, and many many more are part of Jack’s incredible story.  He recounts many of the meetings, and fun he had, as well as some of the sacrifice and pain in the choices he had to make. Jack continues to be involved in writing music and works with a variety of artists,  as well as putting out a new album of his own, titled “Halfway to Hell”. We found Jack to be very down to earth, and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with him very much. We know you will find Jacks story as  interesting and inspiring as we do. 

Halfway To Hell BIO:
“When I was a kid, I thought I was the only one going through what I went through,” H. Jack Williams says. “Music always helped me connect emotionally. But there’s still a lot of abused kids turned damaged adults in the world today, and I hope this album let’s them know they’re not alone.” For Williams (his friends know him as Jack), it’s a characteristically candid statement from the veteran-songwriter-turned-recording-artist who’s experiencing one of the most surprising second acts in music. And with his debut album Halfway To Hell, Jack Williams now delivers a sonically startling testament to trauma and survival that sounds – and stings – like no other.
The 10-songs on Halfway To Hell are all co-written by Williams – with the exception of his haunting take on the standard ‘What A Wonderful World’ – including two co-written with Kevin Costner and directly address Jack’s broken past and road to recovery. “I’m not afraid to say how horrific my childhood was,” Jack says. “I’ve had huge anger issues, drug issues, everything issues, and I’m not afraid to confront any of that darkness in these songs.” With producer Adam Box shaping Jack’s graveled vocals into an American Recordings-meets-Nine Inch Nails soundscape, Halfway To Hell simmers with menace, growls in defiance and shimmers with strength. “I’ve been in the music business since ’71,” Williams explains. “So many people still in this game at my age are jaded and bitter, but my heart is still intact. This album is who I am.”
To truly understand Williams’ personal journey is to also recognize an unprecedented 50+-year odyssey through Folk, Rock, Southern Rock, Country and beyond. A U.S. Marines Force Recon veteran and trained Escoffier chef, Jack’s one-of-a-kind career includes being mentored by Richie Havens; a ‘70s publishing deal with The Who; as the first in-house songwriter for UK rockers Uriah Heep; landing ‘80s cuts with Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot and Gregg Allman, for whom he co-wrote the hit ‘Just Before The Bullets Fly’; numerous ‘90s tracks for The Oak Ridge Boys; running kitchen teams on research vessels in the Aleutian Islands and Azores as well as supply ships during the Gulf War, for which he earned a Medal of Bravery from President Bush; ‘00s Nashville cuts on the Miracles From Heaven soundtrack and with artists that include Montgomery Gentry, Black Stone Cherry and a Top Ten hit for Canadian artist Aaron Pritchett. Eventually, Jack’s patience for the current scene came to an end. “Three years ago, I was done,” he says. “I didn't want to write any more ‘back of my pickup truck’ bullshit. I figured I’ve had a pretty good career; it’s time to go fishing. But when I started to write and sing what was in my heart, everything began to change.”
In more ways than one, Williams had finally found his voice. Always self-conscious of his ragged vocals, Jack started performing new material at Nashville singer/songwriter nights to widespread industry acclaim. He soon got a call from Academy Award winner Kevin Costner, whose band Kevin Costner & Modern West would record two of Jack’s songs – including the Top 20 hit ‘Love Shine’ – and cut four more Jack tracks for 2019’s top-selling Tales From Yellowstone album. Williams was also approached by producer and longtime Brothers Osborne drummer Adam Box to capture Jack’s new direction on record, with the resulting 2020 EP Already Dead leading Film Daily to declare, “Jack Williams is a musical legend.”
“People are starving for genuine delivery, and Jack is the real deal,” says producer/programmer/engineer/co-writer Box, who compares William’s unconventional vocal quality to that of Leonard Cohen and Dylan. “His voice is so unique, and anything he sings is sung with conviction. We started this album with lyrics and a blank slate, then approached each track visually. Sometimes the beauty of the song is in the contrast, like with ‘Wonderful World’, but it all comes back to tone. I see this album as a montage of shapes and textures, like cutting up construction paper to make collages. Ultimately, it’s an authentic expression of Jack.”