Commodores' Milan Williams Passes Away

[Motorcity]

Commodores member Milan Williams dies By Gail Mitchell
Mon Jul 10, 6:14 PM ET



Milan Williams, a founding member of the Commodores, died Sunday (July 9) at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston after a bout with cancer. He was 58.

Williams played keyboards for the R&B/funk outfit, whose members met as students at Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Originally comprising seven members, the Commodores' lineup eventually included Thomas McClary (guitar), Lionel Richie (saxophone), Walter "Clyde" Orange (drums), William King (trumpet) and Ronald LaPread (bass). After touring as the warmup band for the Jackson Five, the Commodores signed to Motown subsidiary MoWest in 1972.

The Commodores' first hit was the 1974 synthesizer-pumped instrumental "Machine Gun." Written by Williams, the song climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard R&B chart. The group went on to score seven No. 1 R&B hits, including "Slippery When Wet," "Just To Be Close to You," "Easy," "Nightshift," "Three Times a Lady" and "Still," the latter two of which also notched No. 1 on the pop chart. Richie left the group for a solo career in 1982, and the Commodores recorded for Polydor in the late '80s.

Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi, on March 28, 1948. Before joining the Commodores, Williams played keyboards for another Tuskegee band, the Jays.

Noted fellow Commodore Orange, "He was once, twice, three times a brother and we love him. He gave all that he could give to the Commodores. He'll always be remembered."

He is survived by a host of family members, including his wife, Melanie Bruno-Williams, two sons from previous unions, Jason and Ricci, two brothers and a sister. Services are scheduled for Friday (July 14) in Okolona. A memorial service is slated for August in Los Angeles.

[Motorcity]

From Times Staff and Wire Reports

July 12, 2006

Milan Williams, 58, one of the original members of the Commodores, the band that rose to the top of the charts in the 1970s on the Motown label, died July 9, according to Jo-Ann Geffen, a spokeswoman for the group.

Williams, the group's keyboardist, died of complications from leukemia at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He had been a resident of Los Angeles.

A native of Mississippi, Williams was a founder of the Jays, a rhythm and blues group, in the 1960s.

In the late '60s he met up with the musicians who became the Commodores at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, Geffen said. The original group included Lionel Richie, William King, Thomas McClary, Walter Orange and Ronald LaPread as well as Williams.

They alternated between funk, rhythm and blues and romantic ballads with early hits including "Machine Gun," an instrumental written by Williams. Other hits included "Slippery When Wet," "Brick House" and "Easy."

The group went through changes in members over the years. Richie, the lead singer, launched a solo career in the early 1980s. Milan remained with the Commodores until 1989. Currently the group includes King, Orange and James Nicholas.

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Commodores founding member Milan Williams died in Houston on Sunday, July 9 at the age of 58, following a struggle with cancer. Funeral services are scheduled for July 15, and a memorial is also being planned for Los Angeles in August.

Williams was part of the original seven-man funk/R&B group, playing keyboards, guitars and doing some singing. The band formed while they were enrolled in college and got their first big break as a touring opener for the Jackson Five. After the conclusion of that tour, in 1972, the band signed with Motown subsidiary MoWest. An illustrious career featuring seven No. 1 R&B songs and two No. 1 pop songs followed. The most famous alum of The Commodores is Lionel Richie, who played saxophone in the band before taking over most of the group's lead vocals and eventually leaving to pursue a solo career. But it was Williams who penned the first song that got them noticed, 1974's instrumental track "Machine Gun," as well as the group's most enduring funk hit, "Brick House."

"He was once, twice, three times a brother and we love him," said Walter Orange on behalf of the Commodores, referencing the band's hit record "Three Times a Lady." "He gave all that he could give to the Commodores. He'll always be remembered."

Williams is survived by his wife, Melanie Bruno-Williams, and two sons, Jason and Ricci. The family has asked that any donations be made in his name to the Leukemia Research Center in Houston.

[Motorcity]

Another on his way to soul heaven, peace my brother
:RIP:

[Motown Honey]

:angelwings: Peaceful travels :angelwings:

[Motorcity]

Celebrities, friends bid farewell to 'Commodore' Williams
7/15/2006 8:13:41 AM
Daily Journal




Memorials

Milan Williams' family requested memorial donations in his name to Leukemia Research, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486 or www.mdanderson.org/gifts


By Sandi P. Beason
Daily Journal


OKOLONA - Friends, family and members of the original Commodores honored Milan "Bunny" Williams at his funeral on Friday.


"Milan wrote the first song that made the Commodores successful, and now we're in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame," said Ronald LaPread, Williams' bandmate.


Williams died Sunday at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He lived in Los Angeles, but it was his wish to be buried in his native Northeast Mississippi.


The funeral originally was planned at Zion Springs Missionary Baptist Church, but it was moved to the Okolona High School gym to accommodate a crowd of more than 250.


At the end of the service, LaPread called his bandmates - including its most recognizable member, Lionel Richie - on stage.


"You don't get to be successful in this life on your own," he said. "We all need each other."


Williams grew up in Okolona, in and around the Okolona College campus, where both his parents taught. After he graduated from Fannie Carter High School, he attended Tuskeegee Institute, where he earned an engineering degree.


There, he met Richie, Thomas McClary and William King, the core of a group that became the Commodores.


He wrote "Machine Gun," the Commodores' first hit for Motown. A keyboardist, guitarist and backing vocalist for the group, he also penned "Brick House," "The Bump," "I'm Ready" and more.


"It was his drive and his work ethic, and all the things that made him successful," said Rashad Thornton of Atlanta, Williams' cousin.


His aunt, Narcissus Williams Dotson, and first cousin, Earlene Dotson, both of Chicago, remembered Williams as a "very caring and loving spirit, who loved his children," Earlene Dotson said.


Williams is survived by his wife, Melanie, two sons, two brothers, a sister and a host of other relatives.


"He was very talented," she added. "Whatever he touched, he turned into magic."

Article

Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/15/2006 8:00:00 AM, section A , page 1

[rainymourning]

Another blow to us music fans. I send my prayers to his family and friends