Tony Williams

Born  December 12 1945 in Chicago

Died  23rd February 1997

A noted jazz drummer in the vanguard of the fusion movement, a combination of rock music and jazz. His band, Lifetime, is considered a pioneer in the genre. 
When he started to play seriously in Boston at the age of 12, he tried to sound like Max Roach, Art Blakey and his other heros. Exactly like them. When he joined Miles Davis at the age of 17 , he was still trying to sound like them. He was still doing it at the age of 50.
In 1969, he formed Lifetime, one of the first fusion groups, bringing John McLaughlin from England for the purpose. With Larry Young on organ, the band was so far ahead of its time it got left behind.
Williams recorded and toured constantly with his own bands and in other musician's bands from the early '60s, when he started his career at only 17, until his death. He worked with such jazz giants as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock .