Bettye LaVette was a close friend of his thru life. She posted this message up on Facebook ..
This man, Andre Williams, taught me SO much about songs, choosing them, singing them, the difference between cocaine and heroin, how to stay up late and talk all night long, and hold onto your thought, no matter how high you get. To get enough rest to do your show the next day, the most horrible jokes you ever heard, and how to maintain looking like a lady through all of that. I loved him so much. I have lost another of the planks in the bridge that I came across on. I'll try to keep the bridge going, but I'll always remember that HE and that bunch, taught me how to swim. RIP from LaVette - which is what he called me.