Joseph Williams | |
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Joseph Williams at Toto's 35th Anniversary Tour in Örebro, Sweden July 3, 2013
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Born |
Joseph Stanley Williams September 1, 1960 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
Occupation |
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Parent(s) |
John Williams Barbara Ruick |
Relatives |
Johnny Williams (paternal grandfather) Melville Ruick {maternal grandfather} Lurene Tuttle (maternal grandmother) |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1982–present |
Associated acts | Toto |
Joseph Stanley Williams (born September 1, 1960) is an American rock singer and film score composer, best known for his work in the rock band Toto, who he fronted from 1986-89, and again from 2010 to the present. He is the son of film composer John Williams and actress/singer Barbara Ruick and the grandson of jazz drummer Johnny Williams and actors Melville Ruick and Lurene Tuttle.
Williams was lead vocalist with Toto during the mid-to-late 1980s and was featured on the albums Fahrenheit (1986) and The Seventh One (1988) before leaving due to personal problems. He can also be heard on the album Toto XX (1998), a compilation of rare and unreleased tracks. He is featured on Toto's 2006 album, Falling in Between, sharing lead vocals with Steve Lukather on "Bottom of Your Soul". In addition to his guest spot on Falling In Between, Williams was a guest singer at several Toto concerts.
Since 2010, Joseph is once again Toto's lead singer. He re-joined the band during their reformation tour and has toured with them since then. He performed lead vocals on their "35th Anniversary: Live In Poland" concert album and DVD, as well as on Toto's 2015 studio album, Toto XIV.
Williams released his first, self-titled solo album in 1982. After his tenure with Toto he has released several more. Many of Toto's members have contributed to his solo work over the years. In 2003 he released an album called Vertigo, a project he initiated, but where he was not in full charge of the production, only recording and supplying the vocals. The second Vertigo album, "Vertigo 2", was released in 2006. Williams released an album of cover songs from renowned artists such as Elton John, Bryan Adams, Diane Warren, and Kevin Cronin in 2006, called Two of Us, featuring piano and voice only. He returned with two more voice & piano albums in 2007, Smiles and Tears, also consisting of classic hits by popular artists. His latest solo album containing original songs, This Fall, was released in November 2008.