Advertisement

Songwriter Jerry Williams dead at 57

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Songwriter Jerry Lynn Williams who wrote for Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and B.B. King, among others, has died on the Caribbean island of St. Martin at age 57.

The writer of "Running on Faith," "Real Man" and "Standing on the Edge of Love" died of kidney and liver failure in the French West Indies Nov. 25, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

Advertisement

The Times dubbed Williams the most successful unknown songwriter in rock and rhythm and blues.

His songs -- "Pretending," "Anything for Your Love," "Running on Faith," "No Alibis" and "Breaking Point" -- were on Clapton's 1989 "Journeyman" album. The same year, his "Real Man" and "I Will Not Be Denied" were on Raitt's Grammy Award-winning album, "Nick of Time."

Williams also contributed five songs to King's 1992 album, "King of the Blues" and wrote "The Hard Way" for Clint Black and Delbert McClinton's signature song, "Givin' It Up for Your Love," the Times said

He also collaborated with Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan on "Tick Tock."

His son was Chris Williams, the Backbone69 frontman and songwriter who died in 2001 when his car plunged off a Malibu, Calif. cliff.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines