Lamar Williams

Lamar Williams (January 14, 1949 – January 21, 1983) was an American musician best known for serving as the bassist of the Allman Brothers Band (1972–1976) and Sea Level (1976–1980).

Early years Williams was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and grew up in nearby Handsboro, Mississippi. Initially he was assigned to a Special Services band,

Williams was then shipped overseas to South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. According to author Scott Freeman, who wrote a history of the Allman Brothers Band, Williams related that he went AWOL as soon as he arrived at an airbase in South Vietnam, running between two barracks and into the jungle. He jammed with a Biloxi group known as the Fungus Blues Band.

Musical career The Allman Brothers Band

By then the Allman Brothers Band had achieved significant success with Jaimoe as one of their drummers, but had just suffered the death of original bassist Berry Oakley. Brought in to the group based on the Jaimoe connection, Williams was one of several possible replacements that they tried out. The Allmans found the peak of their commercial success during this time period. Williams played on most of the tracks on the group's best-selling album, 1973's Brothers and Sisters, and was with them as they played arenas and stadiums on tour and performed before 600,000 fans at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen.

Williams, like the other new member, pianist Chuck Leavell, was a salaried employee of the corporation formed by the surviving four members of the group. The group did not handle fame well and began to disintegrate in the mid-1970s. During this period, Leavell, Williams, and Jaimoe felt a tight bond with each other, while Trucks, Gregg Allman, and Dickey Betts went their own ways.

When the Allman Brothers Band reformed in the late 1970s, consideration was given to Leavell and Williams returning, but the two wanted to keep Sea Level going rather than give a full-time commitment to the Allmans and so they declined.

Sea Level After the Allmans dissolved in 1976, Williams founded Sea Level with Johanson and Leavell of the Allmans. In Sea Level he played in a looser, jazzier fashion. Sea Level became moderately successful.

Wayne Sharp and The Sharpshooter Band Soon after, Jaimoe and Lamar were asked to join longtime friend from Mississippi, Wayne Sharp and his band, The SharpShooter Band, in California. The SharpShooter Band went into the studio and then went on tour. Lamar became ill while touring. In January 1983, Lamar died, and the band went on hold.

Illness and death Williams was found to have lung cancer in 1981. His doctors believed that the disease was derived from exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service. Funeral services were held back in Gulfport. He is buried in Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The non-profit Lamar Williams Foundation For Agent Orange Research was established after his death, with monies from some benefit concerts in 1985 and 1986 going to it and other Vietnam War related organizations. The foundation was subsequently merged into the larger Welcome Home, Inc. organization, which was concerned with a variety of challenges facing Vietnam veterans.

In 2015, the Mississippi Blues Trail placed a historical marker titled "Gulfport Boogie" to honor Jaimoe, Williams, and others from the immediate area who had left their mark on the American musical landscape.

Discography The Allman Brothers Band Brothers and Sisters (1973) Win, Lose or Draw (1975) Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas (1976) Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY: 5/1/73 (2005)

Sea Level Sea Level (1977) Cats on the Coast (1977) On the Edge (1978) Long Walk on a Short Pier (1979) Ball Room (1980)