"The Gentle Giant," Don Williams, has made the decision to retire from country music. The singer announced the news in a press release on Tuesday (March 1).

"It's time to hang my hat up and enjoy some quiet time at home," Williams says. "I'm so thankful for my fans, my friends and my family for their everlasting love and support."

The 6-foot-1 singer was recently forced to cancel his 2016 tour due to an unexpected hip replacement surgery, which likely played a part in his decision to retire. A Country Music Hall of Fame member and CMA Awards and ACM Awards winner, Williams most recently released a new album, Reflections, in 2014 and spent much of 2015 on the road.

“The only description I’ve ever had for songs I choose to do is that they affect me emotionally and that, hopefully, they have something to say that will touch other people,” he explains.

The 76-year-old first earned musical attention in the late 1960s, as a member of the pop-folk trio the Pozo Seco Singers; the group earned six hits on the pop charts. Some of the best-known songs from Williams' six-decades-long career include “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “Back in My Younger Days,” “You’re My Best Friend” and “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend.” Between 1974 and 1991, Williams earned at least one major hit every year.

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