Ray Williams (producer)
| Ray Williams | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ray Williams |
| Born | 1947 London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, publicist, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | Crumbs Productions Ltd. |
| Associated acts | Elton John |
| Website | www |
Ray Williams, (born 1947, London, England), is an A&R music producer/publisher. He is well known as the man who discovered Elton John and introduced him to lyricist Bernie Taupin. Williams has been a prominent figure of the music and film industry for many years as a press agent, A&R head, artist manager, film music producer, and publisher. He was the music supervisor of films including The Last Emperor, Absolute Beginners, and Naked Lunch.
During the 1960s, Williams worked with Cathy McGowan, who presented Ready Steady Go! He was also a press agent for a number major artists such as Sonny & Cher, Cream, Robert Stigwood, and for Brian Epstein's Saville Theatre. He eventually moved up to head the A&R department for Liberty Records, where he signed upcoming artists who went on to achieve major successes with Jeff Lynne (Idle race and ELO), The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Mike Batt, among others.
In 1967, he discovered Elton John and introduced him to Bernie Taupin. Williams managed Elton John for his first five albums. He also launched and managed Stealers Wheel (Gerry Rafferty) and The Blues Band.
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