EXCLUSIVE: Hear Don Williams’ Unearthed ‘I’m the One (Alternate Version)’ from ‘Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes’

Holler is proudly premiering ‘I'm the One (Alternate Version)’, the next single from Don Williams’ posthumous project, Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes. The record arrives on May 29th, 2026.

Epilogue serves as a carefully and lovingly curated collection of previously unreleased recordings from the ‘Gentle Giant’s catalogue, such as ‘Try Me Again’ and ‘You Came Here’. The project has been put together by Williams’ son, Tim, after the tracks were discovered in the cellar of the country legend's Tennessee home.

Tim then brought them to Williams’ long-time producer, Garth Fundis, who helped to polish and hone them as part of this Epilogue project. The recordings - 12 in total - are taken from Williams’ hey-day, and were initially produced between 1979 to 1984.

‘I'm the One (Alternate Version)’ finds Tim reimagining his father's original with a more pared-down instrumental, so as to allow the spotlight to fall on Williams’ iconic, soothing vocals.

Listen to Don Williams’ ‘I'm the One (Alternate Version)’, premiering exclusively on Holler, below:

Speaking ahead of the release, Tim reflects on the uniquely challenging yet rewarding process of reworking this classic ode, “I remember this song very well from when I was 13-14 years old. I always loved the song. Obviously, Daddy did too, or there would not have been strings on it. Strings are always about the last thing before mixing (sometimes percussion). When I realized that it was one of the songs on the tapes in the cellar, I was excited. I did, though, want to take a crack at stripping it down a bit or making a little more room for Dad’s vocal, which was my intention and the approach I took. The original version is definitely cool and pretty complicated, actually, but I wanted a version that would be a platform from which maybe there’d be a little more focus on the vocals”.

Retouching songs posthumously is inevitably a tightrope-walk, with there always being the danger of overworking the original and losing the magic of the artist's initial recording.

But thankfully, Tim has crafted this ‘Alternate Version’ of ‘I'm the One’ with such care and attention to detail that it ends up having the desired effect. The emphasis is placed on Williams’ famously smooth, enchanting vocals, with the gentle, undulating strum of the acoustic guitar complementing the country icon's warm drawl.

‘I'm the One (Alternate Version)’ - and, indeed, the wider Epilogue project - is a wonderful opportunity to revisit Williams’ legacy, and to shed new light on the Texas native's artistry.

The ‘You're My Best Friend’ crooner remains one of the most revered figures in the country canon, with Williams' impact felt across the US, Europe, Africa and beyond. His popularity in Zimbabwe and Nigeria, for instance, is often cited as being unlike that of most country acts, and akin to the stardom of Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson.

‘I'm the One (Alternate Version)’ follows the release of the lead single from Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes, ‘Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight’, and ensures the excitement remains through the roof ahead of the arrival of the full project next month.

For more on Don Williams, see below:

Featured photo by Jim McGuire from The Opry Archives