1945 – 1997

Tony Williams

American jazz drummer (1945–1997)

jazz musiciandirectormusiciandrummercomposer

Born

1945-12-12, Chicago

Died

1997-02-23

Birthplace state

Illinois

Biography

Anthony Tillmon Williams was an American jazz drummer. Williams first gained fame as a member of Miles Davis's "Second Great Quintet", and later pioneered jazz fusion with Davis's group and his own combo, The Tony Williams Lifetime. In 1970, music critic Robert Christgau described him as "probably the best drummer in the world". Williams was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1997.

Occupation

Tony Williams is recorded as a jazz musician, a director, a musician, a drummer and a composer, born in Illinois (1945–1997).

Connections to Illinois

Tony Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1945. Explore other notable figures from Illinois, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from Illinois›Illinoishistory ›Historic sites in Illinois›

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Geology

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LiDAR Terrain

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Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

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The Community

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Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

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Historical Maps

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Literature

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Points of Interest

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More notable figures from Illinois

Other historical figures born in Illinois, ranked by historical prominence.

Ronald Reagan

president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and actor (1911-2004)

Walt Disney

American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)

Ernest Hemingway

American author and journalist (1899–1961)

Robin Williams

American actor and comedian (1951–2014)

Ray Bradbury

American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)

Bobby Fischer

American chess player (1943–2008)

James Watson

American molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate (1928–2025)

Frequently asked about Tony Williams

Who was Tony Williams?

Tony Williams was American jazz drummer (1945–1997), born in Illinois (1945 – 1997).

When and where was Tony Williams born?

Tony Williams was born on 1945-12-12 in Chicago.

When did Tony Williams die?

Tony died on 1997-02-23.

What was Tony Williams known for?

Tony Williams is recorded as a jazz musician, a director, a musician, a drummer and a composer.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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