A Rockapaedia Obituary
Milan Williams
Band: The Commodores
Milan Williams died aged fifty-eight from cancer on 9th
July, 2006 at a hospital in Houston, Texas, United States of America. His interment was at Zion Spring Cemetery in his hometown of Okolona, Mississippi, U.S.A..
Milan Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Earl, who was a multi-instrumentalist. Milan Williams's first band was called The Jays, after they disbanded he met the other founding members of the Commodores in 1967. They were freshmen at Tuskegee Institute. Milan Williams was recruited into the newly formed band. In 1969 he travelled with the band to New York City, where they recorded a single called "Keep on Dancing" on Atlantic Records.
Milan Williams wrote the Commodores first hit record the instrumental track, "Machine Gun". Other Commodores songs penned by him are; "The Bump", "Rapid Fire", "I'm Ready", "Better Never Than Forever", "Mary Mary", "Quick Draw", "Patch It Up", "X-Rated Movie", "Wonderland", "Old-Fashion Love", "Only You", "You Don't Know That I Know", "Let's Get Started" and "Brick House".
While on his way to a concert in 1980 Milan Williams crash landed his single engine plane on a freeway in Phoenix, AZ after it developed engine troubles. He and The Commodores press agent, Lester 
Mornay, escaped injury, jumping from the plane before it burst into flames.
He left the Commodores in 1989, allegedly after refusing to perform with them in South Africa.