The World Famous Tony Williams

The World Famous Tony Williams
Background information
Birth name	Antony Williams
Also known as	Tony Williams, Tony "Penafire" Williams
Origin	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genres	Soul, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Labels	The High Society, Uncle Pete's Parade
Associated acts	Kanye West

Antony Williams, better known by his stage name The World Famous Tony Williams or simply Tony Williams, is an American R&B and soul recording artist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A singer, songwriter and record producer, Williams is perhaps best known for his vocals on his first cousin Kanye West's debut album, The College Dropout (2004) as well as subsequent albums from West.

Tony Williams grew up an only child in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Both his mother and father had musical backgrounds, and Williams was given his first instrument, a saxophone, at the age of eight. He grew up singing in youth choirs at church and played in the marching band through his tenth grade year of high school. Williams love for music continued throughout his early adulthood as he went on to form several bands that ranged in style from Funk, Rock, Alternative, and Christian Alternative, and took on the role as lead vocalist.

Williams’ name appears on Kanye West’s albums as Tony “Penafire” Williams which is the pseudonym he uses when crediting himself as a writer. He was a co-writer of two songs on The College Dropout, the Grammy Award winning 2004 album, following which Williams was invited to write for all of West’s subsequent albums.

On the 2005 MTV documentary, Composing History The Making of Late Registration, he was featured producing vocals for Brandy on the song "Bring Me Down", which he co-wrote. During that documentary, West described Williams as being “a great writer with a cutting edge voice.”

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