Chump Change Records

Donnie Williams, a 24 year old vocalist from Livermore California and an American Idol top finalist, spent his formative years in Baton Rouge Louisiana.

His greatest influences are his mother, Gladys Williams who is a professional R&B and Blues singer and his older brother Mitchell Williams, who Donnie practiced singing with as a boy growing up. His favorite recording artists during his formative years were Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston.

Even though Donnie has his own unique style, you can easily hear the influences of his favorite artists in his overall sound.  In 2005, Donnie met and joined forces with bandleader and record producer Paul Tillman Smith and began performing with the band Park Place. The decision was made that Park Place would become Donnie’s Band and from that situation Donnie’s 14 track Just Like Magic CD was born.

When your father hands you a set of drumsticks at the age of four, chances are you’ll wind up a drummer.

Paul Tillman Smith’s father, George Smith (Kansas City Smitty) played drums during the big band era with many well-known bands including Count Basie, Trummer Young and the Harlem Aces. He was also a mentor to singer Pearl Bailey‘s husband drummer Louie Bellson. At age fifteen at the urging of his mother Della, Paul began playing the piano. Dropped from piano lessons for not cutting his fingernails, he began to write simple three chord songs like the ones he would hear on the radio. This love has lasted a

The Big Belly Blues Band originated from a blues song co-written by songwriter/drummer Paul Tillman Smith and Jazz Diva Faye Carol called the "Big Belly Blues" in Oakland, Ca., 2002.  Guys from the local jam session at the Bluesville Jazz Club on Sunday's decided to form a Blues Band to honor bay area icon's ailing pianist Ed Kelly and vocalist George Hubbard.  A retired bay area teacher, bassist and trombonist Harley White was brought in to pen arrangements along with band trumpeter director Kalill Shaeed of the Oaktown Youth Jazz Group.  Other bay area