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Listen to Roger Williams, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Roger Williams

Pop

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Top Songs By Roger Williams

Listen to Theme from "Somewhere In Time" by Roger Williams & John Barry, see lyrics, music video & more!
Theme from "Somewhere In Time"Roger Williams & John Barry
Listen to Almost Paradise by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
Almost ParadiseRoger Williams
Listen to Till (Single Version) by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
Till (Single Version)Roger Williams
Listen to The Impossible Dream by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
The Impossible DreamRoger Williams
Listen to Born Free by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
Born FreeRoger Williams
Listen to Near You by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
Near YouRoger Williams
Listen to Lara's Theme by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
Lara's ThemeRoger Williams
Listen to Autumn Leaves by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
Autumn LeavesRoger Williams
Listen to The High and the Mighty by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
The High and the MightyRoger Williams
Listen to O Little Town of Bethlehem by Roger Williams, see lyrics, music video & more!
O Little Town of BethlehemRoger Williams

Latest Release

Listen to Roger Williams Christmas by Roger Williams
ALBUMRoger Williams ChristmasRoger Williams

More albums from Roger Williams

Listen to A Gershwin Songbook by Roger Williams
ALBUMA Gershwin SongbookRoger Williams
Listen to The Best of Roger Williams 20th Century Masters the Millennium Collection by Roger Williams
ALBUMThe Best of Roger Williams 20th Century Masters the Millennium CollectionRoger Williams
Listen to Pop Goes the Ivories by Roger Williams
ALBUMPop Goes the IvoriesRoger Williams
Listen to Classic Praise by Roger Williams
ALBUMClassic PraiseRoger Williams
Listen to Sailing by Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra & Roger Williams
ALBUMSailingErich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra & Roger Williams
Listen to Plays More Golden Songs of Love by Roger Williams
ALBUMPlays More Golden Songs of LoveRoger Williams
Listen to To Amadeus With Love by Roger Williams
ALBUMTo Amadeus With LoveRoger Williams
Listen to Golden Christmas by Roger Williams
ALBUMGolden ChristmasRoger Williams
Listen to Phantom of the Opera by Roger Williams
ALBUMPhantom of the OperaRoger Williams
Listen to Nadia's Theme by Roger Williams
ALBUMNadia's ThemeRoger Williams
Listen to Love Theme From "The Godfather" by Roger Williams
ALBUMLove Theme From "The Godfather"Roger Williams
Listen to Happy Heart by Roger Williams
ALBUMHappy HeartRoger Williams
Listen to Born Free by Roger Williams
ALBUMBorn FreeRoger Williams
Listen to I'll Remember You by Roger Williams
ALBUMI'll Remember YouRoger Williams
Listen to Roger Williams Plays The Hits by Roger Williams
ALBUMRoger Williams Plays The HitsRoger Williams
Listen to Family Album Of Hymns by Roger Williams
ALBUMFamily Album Of HymnsRoger Williams
Listen to For You by Roger Williams
ALBUMFor YouRoger Williams
Listen to Mr. Piano by Roger Williams
ALBUMMr. PianoRoger Williams
Listen to Maria by Roger Williams
ALBUMMariaRoger Williams
Listen to Songs Of The Soaring '60s by Roger Williams
ALBUMSongs Of The Soaring '60sRoger Williams
Listen to Always by Roger Williams
ALBUMAlwaysRoger Williams
Listen to Christmas Time by Roger Williams
ALBUMChristmas TimeRoger Williams
Listen to More Songs Of The Fabulous Fifties by Roger Williams
ALBUMMore Songs Of The Fabulous FiftiesRoger Williams
Listen to With These Hands by Roger Williams
ALBUMWith These HandsRoger Williams
Listen to Songs Of The Fabulous Fifties by Roger Williams
ALBUMSongs Of The Fabulous FiftiesRoger Williams
Listen to The Impossible Dream by Roger Williams
ALBUMThe Impossible DreamRoger Williams
Listen to Songs Of The Fabulous Forties by Roger Williams
ALBUMSongs Of The Fabulous FortiesRoger Williams
Listen to Keyboard Kings (Recorded as Lou Weertz) by Roger Williams
ALBUMKeyboard Kings (Recorded as Lou Weertz)Roger Williams

Roger Williams's Popular Music Videos

Music Video

Watch Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, December 18, 1960) music video by Roger Williams, Ed Sullivan, Jack Carter, Mimi Hines, Phil Ford & Trude Adams
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, December 18, 1960)
Roger Williams, Ed Sullivan, Jack Carter, Mimi Hines, Phil Ford & Trude Adams
Watch Flight Of The Bumble Bee (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, December 18, 1960) music video by Roger Williams
Flight Of The Bumble Bee (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, December 18, 1960)
Roger Williams
Watch Autumn Leaves (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, January 1, 1956) music video by Roger Williams
Autumn Leaves (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, January 1, 1956)
Roger Williams
Watch Supercalifragilistic (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, January 31, 1965) music video by Roger Williams
Supercalifragilistic (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, January 31, 1965)
Roger Williams
Watch O Come, All Ye Faithful (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, December 18, 1960) music video by Roger Williams
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, December 18, 1960)
Roger Williams
Watch Mas Que Nada (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, May 10, 1970) music video by Roger Williams
Mas Que Nada (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, May 10, 1970)
Roger Williams
Watch Alice My Love (feat. David Diggs & Rachel Diggs) music video by Roger Williams
Alice My Love (feat. David Diggs & Rachel Diggs)
Roger Williams
Watch Abide With Me (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, April 2, 1961) music video by Roger Williams
Abide With Me (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, April 2, 1961)
Roger Williams
Watch Every Little Movement (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, July 28, 1957) music video by Roger Williams
Every Little Movement (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, July 28, 1957)
Roger Williams
Watch St. Louis Blues (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, July 26, 1959) music video by Roger Williams
St. Louis Blues (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, July 26, 1959)
Roger Williams

About Roger Williams

Listen to Roger Williams, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Hometown
Omaha, NE, United States
Born
October 1, 1924
Genre
Pop
Pianist Roger Williams' sweeping, sparkling arpeggios, showy technique, and gentle easy listening arrangements made him one of the most popular pop instrumentalists of the late '50s and '60s. Like many other easy listening musicians, he blurred the boundaries between pop, jazz, and classical, creating a smooth, relaxing hybrid. Between 1955 and 1972, he had 38 hit albums and 22 hit singles, including the number one hit "Autumn Leaves." Williams (born Louis Weertz) began playing piano as a child, but he was lured into boxing while he was a high-school student. After suffering several injuries -- including breaking his nose a number of times -- he decided to turn his full attention to music, enrolling as a piano major at Drake University. As a student, he began playing hybrids of jazz, classical, and pop. A school official heard him playing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in one of the university's practice rooms and expelled the young musician. Following his expulsion, Williams joined the Navy, where he earned a B.A. in engineering. When his tenure in the Navy was finished, he went back to Drake and re-enrolled in the university. After a couple of years, he moved to Juilliard, where he studied under jazz pianists Lennie Tristano and Teddy Wilson. Williams' first big break arrived when he was scheduled to provide accompaniment for a Juilliard vocalist on Arthur Godfrey & Talent Scouts 1946-50. The vocalist didn't appear at the show, leaving the pianist to play a solo spot. Dave Kapp, the head of Kapp Records, heard Williams on the show and was impressed. Kapp signed the pianist to a contract and changed his name from Louis Weertz to Roger Williams; the name derived from the founder of Rhode Island. After releasing a few singles, Williams had his first hit with the arpeggio-laden "Autumn Leaves" in 1955. The single reached number one on the U.S. charts and began a streak of 22 hit singles that ran through 1969; he had two other Top Ten hits, "Near You" in 1958 and "Born Free" in 1966. Williams was equally successful on the album charts, racking up a total of 38 hit records between 1956 and 1972, including the Top Ten albums Songs of the Fabulous Fifties (1957), Till (1958), Maria (1962), and Born Free (1966). Williams' audience faded away in the early '70s, but he continued to record into the '80s. He remained one of the most popular pianists of the postwar era. He was the first pianist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he played for every President of the United States between Harry Truman and Bill Clinton. Roger Williams died of complications from pancreatic cancer on October 8, 2011 in Los Angeles; he was 87 years old. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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