“Rest easy, my friend.” With that soft whisper, Barry Gibb concluded a tribute that left no dry eye in the chapel at Don Williams’s funeral. Frail and moving slowly, the Bee Gees legend was guided to the front, his hands trembling as he began to sing “To Love Somebody” for his departed friend. His voice, weathered and lined with sorrow that could not be hidden, transformed the timeless ballad into a raw, heartbreaking prayer — each note a confession of memory and regret that echoed through the hushed room. It wasn’t a performance for the audience; it was something far more intimate. A final, private conversation between two artists bound by music and respect, with a guitar and a lifetime of shared emotion offered as Barry’s last farewell to the Gentle Giant.
The funeral of Don Williams, country music’s beloved “Gentle Giant,” was already heavy with the...
