Don Williams died in 2017. He influenced stars as diverse and notable as Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, and Waylon Jennings, A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Williams was warmly lauded by the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Kyle Young.
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He said of the star per the Hall's web site, "In giving voice to songs like 'Good Ole Boys Like Me,' 'Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good,' and 'Amanda,' Don Williams offered calm, beauty, and a sense of wistful peace that is in short supply these days. His music will forever be a balm in troublesome times. Everyone who makes country music with grace, intelligence, and ageless intent will do so while standing on the shoulders of this gentle giant."
Now a controversy is swirling around a "new" album allegedly featuring Williams' music. Fans are skeptical about its authenticity. Per Parade, some suspect that the LP was actually crafted with AI. Its origins and possible connection to Williams' estate are not known for sure.
People Unleashed Their Wrath via Social Media
Many commented on Reddit, not holding back on their disappointment and disgust.
"This popped up in my 'new releases' Spotify section and I'm curious as to how this even got released. From what I can tell, it's clearly a 100% AI-made album; all the songs begin the exact same, the voices sound different on every song (none of them sounding anything like Don Williams) and the lyrics are all generic with no flow or anything. I doubt this was released by his camp, so I thought it was odd."
"Yes!! I saw this too and listened to the album. Absolute garbage!! And totally not his voice or writing. This is maddening. I'm a huge Don Williams fan and this needs to be take[n] down. I'm trying to figure out how to report it to Spotify."
"So disrespectful to Don and his family, there's no way they'd greenlight this. Just more AI slop that Spotify seems keen on pushing."
A Possible Clue That Something Could Be Amiss
Per the outlet, the tracks "were copyrighted by a person named Gary Wayne Moore, not Williams' estate." That has caused more questions to be raised.
