David Williams

Although session guitarist David Williams was virtually unknown to the listening public, he appears on some of the best-selling pop albums of all time, lending subtle but substantial contributions to blockbusters including Michael Jackson's Thriller, Madonna's Like a Virgin, and Whitney Houston's self-titled debut. Born November 21, 1950, in Newport News, VA, Williams began his career in 1968 as a sideman for R&B group the Dells. The Vietnam War interrupted his momentum, and after a tour of duty with the U.S. Army he settled in Los Angeles, appearing on several Temptations sessions following Motown Records' relocation from Detroit to Southern California. In time, Williams' understated yet funky approach captured the attention of legendary producer Quincy Jones, and in 1979 Jones recruited the guitarist to back Jackson on the singer's breakthrough solo effort, Off the Wall, highlighted by contributions to the smash singles "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough" and "Off the Wall." Dates in support of Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and the Pointer Sisters followed, and in 1982 Jackson and Jones again called on Williams in advance of sessions for the superstar's forthcoming Thriller. Williams' now-immortal solo on the Jackson hit "Billie Jean" was in fact recorded during demo sessions at the gloved singer's home studio -- subsequent attempts to recapture the solo's taut immediacy were unsuccessful, but the resulting single was seamless (engineer Bruce Swedien reportedly created 91 different mixes prior to release) and topped the Billboard charts for seven consecutive weeks, additionally earning Grammy awards in the Best R&B Song and Best R&B Male Vocal Performance categories. Williams again reunited with Jackson for 1987's Bad and 1991's Dangerous, appearing on singles like "The...