MEET LENNY

Leonard Charles "Lenny" Williams was born February 16, 1945 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Raised in Oakland, California, he learned trumpet in elementary school and sang in Bay Area gospel choirs alongside future legends Sly Stone, Andre Crouch, and Billy Preston.

In 1972, he joined Tower of Power as lead vocalist, presiding over their commercial peak with hits like "So Very Hard to Go" (#11 R&B, #17 Pop) and "What Is Hip?" across three gold albums.

Going solo in 1975, Williams signed with Motown, then ABC Records. His 1978 re-recording of "Cause I Love You" on the gold album Spark of Love became an R&B classic — a 7+ minute epic later sampled in 40+ songs including Kanye West's production for Twista's "Overnight Celebrity" (#6 Hot 100, 2004).

In 1987, he sang "Don't Make Me Wait for Love" with Kenny G, reaching #15 Hot 100 and #2 Adult Contemporary. He collaborated with Snoop Dogg on "I Love My Momma" (2018, HBO's Sharp Objects).

At 81, Williams still performs 30+ shows per year, releases new music on his own Bridle Ridge Records label, and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Cal State University. He's a member of both the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame (2012) and the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2017).