Bernie Williams | Wanna Play Music

Bernabé Williams-Figueroa (born September 13, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician. Growing up, Bernie played classical guitar as well as baseball. He was also active in track and field, winning medals at an international meet at the age of 15 Bernie was one of the world's best 400-meter runners for his age.

On his 17th birthday, September 13, 1985, he signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees organization, where he climbed the Yankee record books, placing him in the elite company of former Yankee greats. On July 26, 2006, Williams got his 2,300th career hit, becoming the 11th active player in the Majors with 2,300 or more career hits and also hit his 443rd career double that year, surpassing then-bench coach Don Mattingly for second-most as a Yankee.

In addition to his accolades on the baseball field, Bernie is also a critically acclaimed musician. A classically trained guitarist, playing and composing music is Bernie’s first true passion with influences that include jazz, classical, pop, Brazilian, and Latin sounds. He is currently studying guitar and composition at the State University of New York at Purchase.

Williams signed with Paul McCartney's publishing company, MPL Communications, and his major label debut, The Journey Within, was released on June 22, 2003. In addition to playing lead and rhythm guitar, Williams composed seven songs for the album. Tracks like “La Salsa En Mi” and “Desvelado” mix Bernie’s love of jazz with the sophisticated Latin rhythms of his Puerto Rican heritage.

Bernie's second major album, Moving Forward, was released on April 14, 2009 under the Reform Records label. The album features fourteen tracks and includes some collaborative tracks with other artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Jon Secada, and Dave Koz.
On September 17, 2009, Bernie Williams was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his latest album, Moving Forward.

In 2010 Williams participated in the World Rhythms Tour with Basia, and performed at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games opening ceremony.
 

Source: Wikipedia