Country music artist Don Williams died in 2017 at the age of 78; but on May 29 fans can hear the baritone voice of “The Gentle Giant” once again.  But not in a collection of reissues or compilations; but a collection of brand new music.

“Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes” is a collection of music that was found in the cellar of Williams’ home; music that has never been heard before.

Featuring music from 1979 to 1984, the “Cellar Tapes” comes in vinyl, CD, and digital download. 

Fans can get a taste of what’s to come with the new single “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” which is available now.  Colour variant vinyl albums are also being offered – red velvet from Barnes & Noble, parchment smoke from Cracker Barrel, and mahogany smoke at CraftRecordings.com.

In the liner notes Ed Morris wrote, “fans from Abilene to Zimbabwe (really) will delight in discovering these never-before-released gems from the incomparable Don Williams.”

The collection’s executive producer and son Tim spoke on the “Cellar Tapes” saying, “these songs Dad recorded are-as music can be-a time machine.  Obviously, I grew up always hearing what he was doing. He’d bring home three to four songs at a time from the album he was working on at different stages. In working on this project, we tried above all to stay true to how Dad approached production, made much easier for me with Garth’s involvement, and then just to stay out of the way of the music.”

Garth Fundis added, “Don liked every one of these songs. I remember recording all of them… He was very particular about the songs he recorded and the sound we created for each of them. But, if a song didn’t make in to an album, it wasn’t necessarily because he didn’t like it. Moreover, it was because of how songs fit together to create an album. I think he’d be thrilled to know that people could hear him sing these new songs they didn’t know existed. I’m certain Don would be proud of this album.”

After sitting in the cellar for over 30 years, the tapes require significant restoration; but Williams’ voice survived in tact.  And many of the musicians who worked with Williams joined the project to recreate the missing parts.