Roger Williams (Pianist)

Roger Williams ( born October 1, 1924 in Omaha as Louis Weertz; † October 8, 2011 in Los Angeles ) was an American pianist of popular music. His nickname was "Pianist of Presidents " because Williams had played for every U.S. president from Harry Truman to George W. Bush.

Life and work

Williams, who grew up in a musical family in Des Moines, started with three years to play the piano. He studied piano at Drake University in Des Moines, until he was expelled because he played the pop song Smoke Gets in Your Eyes in the sample space. After he had served his military service in the Navy, he graduated from the Bachelor on the Idaho State College (now Idaho State University) in 1950. Then he studied for the Master continued at Drake University. To learn jazz piano, he then moved to New York City, where he was trained at the Juilliard School of Music with Lennie Tristano and Teddy Wilson.

After he won a talent contest, he was taken by David Kapp with Kapp Records and changed his name to Roger Williams. In 1955, he played one of his version of Autumn Leaves, which has been the only solo piano piece, a number-one hit in the U.S. Billboard charts. To date, the eponymous LP / CD is the best-selling piano record of all time. He had further chart success with its easy-listening versions of the song Born Free, Near You, Till, The Impossible Dream, Yellow Bird, Maria " and Theme from Somewhere in Time. According to the Billboard he was with 18 gold and platinum records of the best -selling popular music pianist. 2010, he was inducted into the hit Parade Hall of Fame.

The musician died at his home in Los Angeles as a result of cancer.

Disco Graphical Notes

  • Autumn Leaves ( Kapp 1955)
  • Plays Christmas Songs ( Kapp KL1042, 1956)
  • Roger Williams ( Kapp KL1012, 1956)
  • "Near You" ( Kapp Kl -1112 1958)
  • Songs of the Fabulous Fifties ( Kapp KXL5000, 1957)
  • Songs of the Fabulous Century ( Kapp KXL5005, 1958)
  • More Songs of the Fabulous Fifties ( Kapp KL1130, 1959)
  • Songs of the Fabulous Fifties Part 1 ( Kapp KL1209, 1960)
  • Yellow Bird ( Kapp KL1244, 1961)
  • Greatest Hits ( Kapp KS3260, 1962)
  • Mr. Piano ( Kapp KS3290, 1962)
  • Country Style ( Kapp KL1305, 1963)
  • By Special Request ( KL3 Kapp, 1964)
  • The Solid Gold Steinway ( Kapp KL1354, 1964)
  • Autumn Leaves -1965 ( Kapp KL1452, 1965)
  • Plays the Hits ( Kapp KL1414, 1965)
  • Summer Wind ( Kapp KS3434, 1965)
  • Born Free ( Kapp KS3501, 1966)
  • By Special Request - Vol.2 ( KS4 Kapp, 1967)
  • Golden Hits ( Kapp KS3530, 1967)
  • Roger! ( Kapp KL1512, 1967)
  • Amor ( Kapp KS3549, 1968)
  • The Piano Magic of Roger Williams (Columbia Record Club P3S5314, 1969)
  • Summer of '42 ( Kapp KS3650, 1971)
  • Twilight Themes ( Longines LS206C, 1971)
  • Love Theme from " The Godfather " ( Kapp KS3665, 1972)
  • The Way We Were (MCA -403, 1974)
  • Autumn Leaves - The Best of Roger Williams ( Reader 's Digest / MCA, 1978)
  • Golden Christmas (Holiday HDY - 1927, 1981)
  • 1970 's ( MCA 2 - 4180, 1983)
  • Golden Christmas (Special Music Company SCD- 4607, 1993)
Omaha, Nebraska Des Moines, Iowa Autumn Leaves (song) Easy Listening Integrated Authority File
690736
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