Don Williams earned the beloved nickname “The Gentle Giant” for his lanky frame and rich, smooth baritone that could wrap warmly around a song. His voice was once described by Alison Krauss as, “Somewhere between Santa and the Almighty,” a pinpoint definition if ever one existed.
During his prolific career, which started in the early 1970s, Williams parlayed that voice to 17 No. 1 hits, including “Till The Rivers All Run Dry.” The song was released in 1975 as the first single from his album Harmony. It became his fourth No. 1 on the country chart, and it stayed in that position for one week, spending a total of twelve weeks on the country charts.
A Song That Sings About Eternal Love
Written by Don William along with Wayland Holyfield, the song sings about eternal love, and it’s described through the lyrics. “Till the rivers all run dry. Till the sun falls from the sky. Till life on earth is through, I’ll be needing you,” the song begins.
And though he makes her wonder sometimes, through the things he says or does, one thing is for sure – he needs her. After all, whether your life is falling into place or spinning out of your control, if you love someone, you’d definitely need her by your side.
With “Till The Rivers All Run Dry,” we’ve fully understood how Don Williams became a crowd favorite during his radio days, not only in the United States but also overseas. He has fans all over the world, from Ireland to England to Africa until he retired from touring in 2006.
Garth Fundis, his longtime producer, revealed that Williams has an uncanny judgment when it comes to picking hit songs. Fundis told Billboard that Williams “never let himself stray from what he felt about music. I think that’s where the consistency comes from. It had to work for him in a simple way.
He added, “Sometimes, we do orchestrations and get a lot of instruments going, but it was usually pretty simple. He always was the rudder that kept the bowel pointed in the right direction, to use a sailing term. It was wonderful how he could always take different kinds of songs, and by the time he was done with them, they all kind of fit together in a really wonderful way.”
Though we can no longer hear Don Williams sing live, you can enjoy his performance of “Till The Rivers All Run Dry” below.
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