He is a drummer, singer, arranger, producer and composer born in Brooklyn, New York, who started out on his professional musical career when he was aged just eight. He studied at the High School of Music and Art in New York and during his time there was a group member of Natural Essence. He took further studies at the Manhattan School of Music and became an extremely sought after musician by many of today’s major artists in the world of R&B, jazz and pop music and has appeared at major venues that include Carnegie Hall.
The many acts that he has worked with are too numerous to mention them all but a few of them include Ashford & Simpson, Anita Baker, Gato Barbieri, Teresa Brewer, Tom Browne, Peabo Bryson, B.T. Express, Change, Natalie Cole, D Train, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, Rodney Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Lena Horne, Thelma Houston, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Herbie Mann, The Manhattan Transfer, Bette Midler, Stephanie Mills, Billy Ocean, Lee Ritenour, Linda Ronstadt, David Sanborn, Ben Sidran, Phoebe Snow, Richard Tee, Nino Tempo, Stanley Turrentine, Luther Vandross, The Weather Girls, Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder.
As a producer he worked in collaboration on Herbie Mann’s Astral Land and with the addition of his compositions and arrangements, he has also worked on Never Too Much by Luther Vandross and the Bustin’ Loose soundtrack. He was a member of the Saturday Night Live Band for over a decade and also had his own band, with who made several television appearances.
His work can be heard in many different ways from commercials, to movies, to live concerts, to albums and just some of the recordings he has made over the years include Main Event by Herb Alpert & Hugh Masakela, Hot Water by Jimmy Buffett, Merry Christmas by Mariah Carey, Home Again by Judy Collins, Come Together as One by Will Downing, I’m the One by Roberta Flack, Rock Me Tonight by Freddie Jackson, HIStory: Past, Present & Future by Michael Jackson, Move Closer by Tom Jones, Life Stories by Earl Klugh, Only Human by Jeffrey Osborne, Friends Can Be Lovers by Dionne Warwick, Inside Moves by Grover Washington Jr. among many others.
In recent years he has been seen touring with Patti Austin, George Benson, Robert Flack and Herbie Mann’s 40th Year Reunion Band.
In musical education he has held many international classes and workshops for charitable organisations and for the Yamaha company.
Sources:
- http://www.buddywilliams.com/
- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=142875370
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Williams_(jazz_drummer)
- http://www.jazzworld.com/buddywilliams/
- http://www.buffettnews.com/resources/coralreeferband/?bid=139
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:azfuxqugldje~T4
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:azfuxqugldje~2~T40B
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:azfuxqugldje~3~T40B