[4] She is best known for the songs "Free", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" (with Johnny Mathis).

[7] She attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, in the hopes of becoming a registered nurse and an anesthetist, but she dropped out after a year and a half.

"[8] Williams started performing while a college student, "a part-time job singing at a club, Casino Royal, and I liked it.

A brief spell in 1969 with Patti Hamilton's the Lovelites resulted in her lead on "I'm Not Like the Others", a track that was eventually released in 1999.

[9] She became a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder as part of "Wonderlove", lending her vocals on his albums Talking Book, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Songs in the Key of Life.

[10][11][12] This Is Niecy has also been certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA and silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry.

White went on to single handedly produce Williams' second album, Song Bird, released in October 1977.

[11] Simon Gage of The Daily Express found Songbird is "filled with gorgeous songs that showcase her four-octave range to full effect".

[19] John Rockwell of The New York Times also wrote "Deniece Williams's “Song Bird” is a most appealing album for anyone who likes varied, skillful and sophisticated singing in the black pop area.

[23][16][15] Williams went on to issue a duet album with Johnny Mathis dubbed That's What Friends Are For in 1978 on Columbia for Kalimba Productions.

[24] Paul Sexton of Record Mirror commented "their coupling is quite satisfactory from an artistic point of view.

"[25] Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times said that "Mathis' duets with Williams have rescued him from the MOR graveyard and given him new life in the pop/R&B market.

To make sure no one mistakes these songs for MOR, producer Jack Gold has tacked on sprightly rhythm tracks which turn some of them into gentle rockers.

[28] Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times proclaimed "This album (coproduced by Raydio's Ray Parker Jr.), nicely showcases Williams' expressive voice, and those translucent high C's she's capable of reaching.

[31] The Philadelphia Inquirer opined "Although her roots are R&B, Miss Williams transcends easy categorisation with this collection of material and her versatile presentation."

Stephen Holden of the New York Times also found that "My Melody, Miss Williams's fourth solo album, is an inspired collaboration with Thom Bell, the Philadelphia songwriter and producer whose hits with the Stylistics and the Spinners in the early 70's epitomized pop-soul elegance.

[11][12] With a B+ Robert Christgau of the Village Voice found "Williams's exquisite clarity and thrilling range have always slotted her among the perfect angels for me, but there's a lot more to her work with Thom Bell, who finally challenges Burt Bacharach on his own turf, applying strings and woodwinds and amplifiers with a deft economy that textures rather than sweetens.

And Williams's lyrics, while never startling, become increasingly personal as her professional confidence grows--she's wrinkling her brow more and her nose less."

Crispin Cioe of High Fidelity found "as a writer, Williams deals in the unabashedly romantic; as a singer she lends her lines an emotionalism that rings true.

In Bell's sympathetically rich arranging/production context small sentiments take on grand proportions, and therein lies the album's charm.

[15][16] Williams and Mathis collaborated once again to record "Without Us" the theme song of the sitcom Family Ties which debuted in September 1982.

Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "The album works due to fresh-sounding, quality material.

"[43] In 1985, at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, Williams sang an a cappella version of her 1977 composition "God Is Amazing", a Gospel song, rather than her No.

6 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart and was nominated for Best Gospel Performance, Female Grammy.

"They Say", a duet with Sandi Patti, Williams won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus and for "I Surrender All", she won the Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female.

[6][47][5] In April 2007 she later released another studio album entitled Love, Niecy Style, produced by Philly Soul veteran Bobby Eli, on Shanachie Records.

[11] On October 13, 2007, Williams performed in her hometown of Gary, Indiana at the re-opening of the historic Glen Theater.

[50] In October 2007 Williams went on to issue a single called, "Grateful: The Rededication", with Wanda Vaughn of The Emotions and Sherree Brown.

[51] On April 29, 2008, Williams announced that she was preparing a proposal to establish a program called KOP—Kids of Promise—in her hometown of Gary, Indiana.

"[62] In pointing to Williams's similar vocal ability as her former musical icon and colleague (Minnie Riperton), Mark Anthony Neal, in referencing Jill Scott's agility in displaying vocal acrobatics, states, "Scott draws on her upper register recalling the artistry of the late Minnie Riperton and "songbird" Deniece Williams.