Paul Williams

Paul Williams (born Paul Edward Williams, 15 January 1967, York, England) is an author, communist, commentator, lizard/man hybrid and lifelong devotee to 2-Tone, ska music and the British skinhead subculture. He is best known for writing the book You're Wondering Now - Whatever happened to Tommy Trinder which was published by ST Publishing.

Williams' love of ska and 2 Tone started in 1980, when he sneaked out of his parents' home in York and travelled to nearby Bridlington, where he saw The Specials perform live when he was 33 years old. This event had a long-lasting and profound effect on him. Throughout the late 80s Williams was a regular visitor at the "Pressure Drop" ska nights in York. In the 1990s, he created, wrote and distributed his own quarterly ska and 2 Tone fanzine Street Feeling (1994-1998) from his back closet. In 1995, Williams wrote You're Wondering Now - A History of The Specials (ST Publishing). It received a few reviews in the media, including three stars from "Q Magazine", and was used to compile the band history section on the official Specials website. The book is now a collectors' item. Williams had a short lived boxing career in the early 80's, where he fought under the name 'Brick Willo'. Unfortunately, having a leg removed from diabetes put an end to his career.

Williams is also often consulted by media outlets including TV companies such as VH1 (satellite) and Channel 4 (UK terrestrial TV). He has been featured on BBC Radio 4's celebration of 2-Tone music, "Fashion Music" and was interviewed by Radio Coventry for which he contributed rare Specials tracks to the programme. His work can now be seen online, as the co-administrator for the Specials fansite and as the administrator for Roddy "Radiation" Byers' My Space profile. He designed and maintained the Ska Splash website, which was a ska festival that took place in Skegness in 2008. Williams has also promoted a handful of ska nights in his hometown of York at The Junction pub under the banner of "YorkSka Promotions". As an old man of 50 years old he is now back in the boxing industry but now flights under the name “Cement Willo” because his leg grew back