Williams was born in 1951 (some sources mistakenly say 1957) in
Versailles, France to English parents and his family moved to
Farnham, England during his childhood. He learned drums with his mother's knitting needles and never had formal instruction. He first played drums in local bands with future Cure bandmate
Roger O'Donnell and originally focused on
jazz fusion. He then turned to
alternative rock and served as a session and touring musician for
Thompson Twins and
Kim Wilde. In 1984,
The Cure needed a new drummer in the middle of an American tour, when previous drummer
Andy Anderson was suddenly fired. Williams was recommended for the position by the Cure's then-bassist/producer
Phil Thornalley, who had worked with Williams while engineering the Thompson Twins album
Quick Step & Side Kick. Williams learned the Cure's set list in three days, and his first performance with the band was in November 1984. He was then invited to be the band's permanent drummer, and his first album as a full-time member was
The Head on the Door in 1985. Known for experimenting with electronic percussion and loops, Williams was a primary contributor to the band's remix album
Mixed Up in 1990. He was also known for his innovative drumming style, with
Freaky Trigger saying: "[He] is a god among drummers due to his complete willingness to create an entire beat based on doing rolls on the various toms in his kit." Williams has been cited by
Billboard for his subtle but forceful drumming, "improbably stealing the show from his bandmates"; and critics often praise his technical and timekeeping skills. Williams is also credited with contributions to albums by
Shelleyan Orphan, featuring his longtime partner
Caroline Crawley. He left the Cure for personal reasons in 1994. Williams contributed to new acoustic versions of Cure songs that were recorded for their
Greatest Hits compilation in 2001, though he did not officially rejoin the band. In 2019, he was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cure. ==Discography==