Ken Williams Dies: ‘Everybody Plays The Fool’ Songwriter Was 83
deadline.comKenneth “Ken” Williams, who wrote or co-wrote more than 500 songs including the classic 1972 hit “Everybody Plays The Fool” recorded by The Main Ingredient with lead vocals by Cuba Gooding Sr., died June 17 following a long non-Covid illness at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York.
He was 83.His announced his wife, the Broadway actress and singer Mary Seymour Williams.Though most widely known for “Everybody Plays the Fool,” the classic R&B song he co-wrote with Rudy Clark and J.R.
Bailey, Williams was a prolific songwriter, record producer, arranger and singer for the past 60 years. Among his songs are “Love, Love, Love” (recorded by Donny Hathaway), “I Can’t See Me Without You” (The Impalas), “Let Me Prove My Love To You” (The Main Ingredient), “Only When You’re Lonely” (Holly Maxwell), “Seven Lonely Nights” (The Four Tops), “Keep on Holding On” (Margaret Reynolds), “Hoping You Will Come Back” (Sandra Phillips) and more.
His songs span genres including Blues, Jazz, and Classical to Dance, R&B, Country and Pop.Williams was born on January 13, 1939 in Fernandina Beach, Florida, joined th Air Force after high school and, while stationed in Great Falls, Montana, formed a group called The Chuck A Lucks.
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