What's this? This is an unbiased just-the-facts news timeline ('newsline') about Pharrell Williams, created by Newslines contributors. Help it grow by finding and summarising news. Learn more

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams54 posts
19 May, 2015

Wins The Voice

Sawyer FredericksThe VoiceOther Awards

Fredericks wins season eight of The Voice. He is coached by Williams.

I just thought, ‘This is going to be a good learning experience.’ I’d never done any kind of audition thing before. So that’s kind of how I went into it, just seeing where it takes me…It was definitely a really big culture shock for me, moving from a farm to the city. Since I’m quite a bit of an introvert, it’s really hard for me to do interviews and that kind of stuff. The performing was really easy for me, just because I’ve always been performing; I do a lot of farmers’ markets and gigs like that. So that was the part where I was the least nervous, when I was up onstage singing. I was more nervous in the interviews, although I’m not as nervous now. I’m definitely getting more comfortable with all this stuff. I’ve come out of my shell through this whole entire experience.

On his plans for the future:

I would not move to L.A.; I love my home back on the farm. I would visit L.A., but it would never be my home. I can take trips and stay in hotels for a while, but I always want to have a farm to come back to.

20 Mar, 2015

Comments on verdict

Williams comments on the jury’s decision:

It was shocking. I think, when you look back at it, I think the jury voted on emotion. This is my opinion – I feel like the verdict was based on emotion and not the real true issue, which was copyright infringement.

Blurred Lines comments

Marvin Gaye (Singer)Nile RodgersRobin ThickeInterview

Rodgers comments on Williams and Thicke’s copyright infringement in the Blurred Lines court case, saying he believes the song’s composition is not at all like Gaye’s Got to Give it Up.

Compositionally, purely compositionally, I don’t think they should have lost that case. Got to Give it Up is clearly a blues structure, Blurred Lines isn’t at all. If we lose our freedom to be inspired, we’re going to look up one day and the entertainment industry as we know it will be frozen in litigation.

10 Mar, 2015

Copied Blurred Lines: $7.3m damages

Marvin Gaye (Singer)Robin ThickeJudgement

The jury awards $7.3 million to Gaye’s family after deciding Williams and Thicke copied Blurred Lines from Gaye’s 1977 hit Got to Give It Up. Nona Gaye wept as the verdict was being read and was hugged by her attorney, Richard Busch, who had said Williams and Thicke were liars who went beyond trying to emulate the sound of Gaye’s late-1970s music and copied the song outright. The song has earned more than $5 million apiece for Thicke and Williams.

26 Nov, 2014

Calls Brown’s behavior ‘bullyish’

Michael Brown

Williams tells Ebony magazine that although he doesn’t agree with the Grand Jury’s decision in Ferguson, he thinks Michael Brown’s behavior leading up to his death was ‘bully-ish’.

It looked very bully-ish; that in itself I had a problem with. Not with the kid, but with whatever happened in his life for him to arrive at a place where that behavior is OK. Why aren’t we talking about that? The boy was walking in the middle of the street when the police supposedly told him to “get the f*** on the sidewalk.” If you don’t listen to that, after just having pushed a storeowner, you’re asking for trouble.

Spark the Fire

Gwen StefaniSingle Release

The artist releases Spark The Fire, from her yet to be titled album. This is one of several tracks that is produced by collaborator Pharrell for her third solo album. Stefani:

He’s like, ‘I’ve got to play you this. I have to play you this. And so he plays me this song, and it’s like magic. All it was was a beat and he was singing this melody on top and I just knew, that’s it. That night, after shooting all day, we went in the studio all night long, stayed up till four in the morning, came back, got on set and then didn’t finish.

16 Sep, 2014

High when recording Blurred Lines

Robin Thicke

Thicke says he was high on Vicodin and alcohol when recording Blurred Lines featuring Williams. The claim came to light in court documents as part of a case taken by the estate of Marvin Gaye due to the songs likeness to Gaye’s song Got to Give it Up.  Thicke claims Williams wrote most of the song.

To be honest, that’s the only part where — I was high on Vicodin and alcohol when I showed up at the studio. So my recollection is when we made the song, I thought I wanted — I — I wanted to be more involved than I actually was by the time, nine months later, it became a huge hit and I wanted credit. So I started kind of convincing myself that I was a little more part of it than I was and I — because I didn’t want him — I wanted some credit for this big hit. But the reality is, is that Pharrell had the beat and he wrote almost every single part of the song.

23 Jul, 2014

Come Get It Bae

Miley CyrusSingle Release

Williams releases Come Get It Bae from his album G I R L. The song features vocals from Miley Cyrus. Williams on Cyrus:

I wanted her on that song as I love her tone. It just felt good and that’s it and I wanted to make music with people who feel.

6 Jun, 2014

Pharrell interview

On Air With Ryan SeacrestRyan SeacrestInterview

Seacrest interviews Pharrell during On Air With Ryan Seacrest and questions him about his duet with Miley Cyrus, Come And Get It Bae. 

Come Get It’ I actually wrote for a girl. So it’s written from a woman’s perspective. And I just decided to re-record it myself. It’s funny because there’s another song on my album that is actually written from the perspective of a woman as well, and that’s called ‘Hunter.

4 Jun, 2014

Elle UK cover

Magazine Cover

1401905560_pharrell-williams-elle-cover-467The singer appears on the cover of the July 2014 issue of Elle UK. He discusses his values, his love for hats, and his wife.

We just motivated each other as friends. She pushes me. I push her.

13 Apr, 2014

Pharrell Williams interview

Oprah WinfreyInterview

Winfrey interviews Pharrell Williams on Oprah’s Next Chapter to discuss his rise to fame and the future in front of him. 

The `new black’ doesn’t blame other races for our issue. The`new black’ dreams and realizes that it’s not pigmentation, it’s a mentality, and it’s either going to work for you or it’s going to work against you. And you’ve got to pick the side you’re going to be on.

5 Apr, 2014

Hosts SNL with Pharrell Williams

Anna KendrickHosts Show

Kendrick hosts Saturday Night Live, with Williams as a musical guest. Williams performs Happy and Marilyn Monroe, and Kendrick participates in sketches are performed throughout the night. Kendrick on pre-show jitters:

I’m so scared. All my friends have been really really nice about it. But a lot of my friends have been trying to suggest skits that aren’t around anymore.

10 Mar, 2014

Marilyn Monroe

Single Release

Williams releases the single, Marilyn Monroe, from his album, G I R L. Williams:

I sort of wanted to reverse the connotation behind these statuesque standards of what beauty has to be. That which makes you different is actually the thing that makes you special.

3 Mar, 2014

Pharrell Williams interview

On Air With Ryan SeacrestRyan SeacrestInterview

Seacrest interviews Williams during On Air With Ryan Seacrest and questions him about his collaboration on the single Girl with Miley Cyrus.

I love Miley. I’ll never forget telling you she’s on her way and there’s so much more there [than Hannah Montana] it was a pleasure having her on the record I wanted her tone and I felt her tone took it to the next level.

29 Jan, 2014

Pharrell Williams interview

On Air With Ryan SeacrestRyan SeacrestInterview

Seacrest interviews Williams during On Air With Ryan Seacrest and questions him about the famous hat he wore to the Grammy Awards. 

It’s Vivienne Westwood. It’s a buffalo hat and it’s an ode to Malcolm McLaren. He had a song called ‘Buffalo Stance’ and when I was a kid it was a big thing, so I was with a friend of mine and she gave me the history when we went to the Vivienne Westwood store and I was like ‘Okay, I need that.’ So I got it and this was about 4 or 5 years ago and at the very last minute I was thinking about what I was going to wear, and I knew I didn’t want to  wear what I was going to wear during the performance, in the seat, or to the red carpet so I just threw on my Adidas jacket and the buffalo hat and went for it.

27 Jan, 2014

Flare interview

Flare MagazineInterview

Williams gives an interview to Flare magazine. He talks about style and collaborating with people.

When you collaborate with people it’s almost like a crash course on their minds and skill set. It allows me to learn and get better. Phoebe Philo is another brilliant mind who has chosen to take her lifestyle and make that the muse of her work. She’s the king right now. Does Holt Renfrew sell Céline?

Wins Grammy

Grammy

Williams wins a Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.

Humbling man…it’s pretty crazy. I didn’t expect any of this.

Wins Grammy

Daft PunkGrammy

Draft Punk and Williams wins Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance  for Get Lucky.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are honored to be considered here.

Wins Grammy

Daft PunkNile RodgersGrammy

Draft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers win the Grammy for Record Of The Year for Get Lucky.

I bet France is really proud of these guys right now.

19 Jun, 2013

Get Like Me video

NellyNicki Minaj

Nelly releases Get Like Me featuring Nicki Minaj and Pharrell Williams from his album M.O. Directed by Colin Tilley the video features motorcycle stunts and twerking dancers.

It was both cool and a pleasure to work with Pharrell and Nicki. The song was written on the vine of, who is the ultimate party cat? We came to the conclusion that the ultimate party cat is no other than Rick James unanimously!  He provided funky hits that played at every party!

22 May, 2013

Happy

Single Release

Williams releases, Happy, from his album, G I R L. Williams talks about his No.1 song:

It’s been amazing, because I know that it’s not my doing. Yes, I’m the author of the song, but the people are the author of all the success. When you say the words “big,” “huge,” and “successful,” what you’re really referring to is how the public reacted to something. Every time someone votes or requests or downloads, they’re contributing to the movement that Happy has become. They’ve pushed it to number one. The only thing I could do is make a song. But how many great songs are written every day? They’re not all promised this type of reaction. When you’re young and you’re doing it, you think it’s you, but when you‘ve been doing it as long as I have, you realize it can be great but there are sliding factors that move like plate tectonics. You’ll see them time and time again when you thought something was going to blow but it didn’t for whatever reason. I’m just really happy that the universe has conspired to give us this kind of moment and I intend to continue to be loyal to it. Just like Happy is not preachy, it’s just the information is there should you want it; that’s how I intend to do my music.

26 Mar, 2013

Blurred Lines

Robin ThickeSingle Release

Thicke releases the single, Blurred Lines, featuring Pharrell Williams. Thicke:

Pharrell and I were in the studio making a couple records, and then on the third day, I told him I wanted to do something kinda like Marvin Gaye’s Got To Give It Up, that kind of feel ’cause it’s one of my favorite songs of all time. So he started messing with some drums and then he started going ‘Hey, Hey, Hey’ and about an hour and a half later we had the whole record finished.

What's this? This is an unbiased just-the-facts news timeline ('newsline') about Pharrell Williams, created by Newslines contributors. Make it grow it by finding and summarising news. Learn more