Blinky (singer)
| Sondra "Blinky" Williams | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sondra Williams |
| Born | May 21, 1944 |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | R&B, Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1952-present |
| Labels | Vee-Jay, Atlantic, Motown, Reprise |
| Associated acts | Edwin Starr, Andrae Crouch, Ashford & Simpson |
Sondra "Blinky" Williams (born May 21, 1944 in Oakland, California) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.
Williams was born in Oakland, California, but later grew up in Los Angeles. The daughter of a pastor, she was active in church choirs since the age of six. His two siblings are Diana Williams Witherspoon and Pastor Austin F. Williams.
Sondra Blinky Williams is the mother of two daughters, Dana Williams Lewis, Tori-Jo Williams Baker; Grandmother of Da'Vida Sonnier, Da'Monique Sonnier, Dy'Lan-Victoria D. Lewis, Victor Lewis II, DesTyne Baker, Markisa Owens, Tionna Owens, Dionte Taylor and Great-Grandmother of Tae'Onna Owens Hall.
She recorded the album Hark The Voice on Atlantic Records, then moved to Motown where she recorded (as "Blinky") five singles including her debut, the Ashford & Simpson penned single "I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is", (a song reportedly written about Lovin' Spoonful studio bass player James Killingsworth) in 1968, and thought she would find success when she recorded a duet album with Edwin Starr entitled Just We Two on the heels of his 25 Miles.
However, they did not get the push that either the Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell or the Supremes-Temptations duets did, and success again eluded her when, after becoming a protégé of Sammy Davis, Jr., his deal with the label fell through.
Blinky released two further singles for Motown in the early 1970s (on the company's California-based MoWest subsidiary) and has had several others scheduled for release but never actually released. She is also credited with singing the theme for the 1970s TV series Good Times, along with Jim Gilstrap.
Her version of "God Bless The Child" appears on the album Rock Gospel: The Key To The Kingdom and her recording of "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do" is on the soundtrack of Lady Sings The Blues, the Billie Holiday bio-pic starring Diana Ross. Unfortunately, most of her solo work, save for a few singles, remains unreleased. She can be heard live on the Motortown Revue Live! CD.
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