George Williams earned lasting recognition as the enduring frontman of Philadelphia’s Tymes, a defining Philly soul ensemble. Born in the City of Brotherly Love on December 6, 1935, he completed a tour of duty with the U.S. Army before resettling in his hometown in 1961. There he joined the Latineers, a veteran local vocal harmony outfit whose profile rose sharply once his refined, Johnny Mathis-inspired phrasing took center stage. Regional acclaim followed swiftly, prompting a 1963 contract with Parkway Records. A&R executive Billy Jackson rechristened the ensemble the Tymes and reworked Williams’s composition “As We Stroll Along” into the polished ballad “So Much in Love,” which served as their debut single. The track migrated from R&B playlists to mainstream outlets and reached the summit of the U.S. pop charts in August 1963. Their next release, a reading of Johnny Mathis’s “Wonderful! Wonderful!,” also registered inside the Top Ten, while the subsequent hit “Somewhere” marked their third consecutive chart success. Momentum soon faded, however, and Parkway dropped the group in 1965. They briefly operated their own Winchester imprint, then moved through short engagements with MGM and Columbia. Although Philadelphia International architects Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble once hailed Williams as the finest vocalist they had encountered, the label declined to release a demo the Tymes cut under their supervision. RCA ultimately signed the act, restoring commercial traction with the 1974 proto-disco club favorite “You Little Trustmaker.” Its successor, “Ms. Grace,” climbed to number one on the U.K. charts in 1975. Later singles such as “God’s Gonna Punish You,” “It’s Cool,” and “Goin’ Through the Motions” fared progressively less well, prompting Williams to exit the Tymes in 1978. He relocated to Great Britain, establishing residences first in Kent and subsequently in London. During the mid-1980s he collaborated with the jazz-funk unit the Chosen Three and later performed solo on the oldies circuit. Eventually he repatriated to the United States and passed away in Maple Shade, NJ, on July 28, 2004.
