ROGER
WILLIAMS (ARTIST BIOGRAPHY)
Roger Williams
(born Louis Weertz, October 1, 1924), is an American popular music
pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.
He is the son of a Lutheran minister (Rev. Frederick J. Weertz) and
a music teacher (Dorothea Bang Weertz), in Omaha, Nebraska, but
before his first birthday the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa. He
first played the piano at age three. In high school he became
interested in boxing, mainly at his father's insistence, and only
returned to music after breaking his nose several times and
sustaining several other injuries.
He majored in piano at Drake University in Des Moines, but was
expelled for playing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in the practice room.
Weertz entered the United States Navy and served in World War II.
While still in the Navy, he earned a bachelor's degree from Idaho
State College (now Idaho State University) in 1950. Afterwards
Weertz re-enrolled at Drake, where he earned his master's degree. He
then moved to New York City to study at the Juilliard School of
Music. At Juilliard he studied jazz piano under Lennie Tristano and
Teddy Wilson.
One night Weertz was scheduled to play as an accompanist for a
Juilliard student who was to sing on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.
When the singer failed to appear, Weertz went on as a piano soloist
and won the night's contest. He was heard by David Kapp, founder of
Kapp Records. Kapp was so impressed that he signed the pianist,
changing his name to 'Roger Williams' after the founder of Rhode
Island. In addition to the Godfrey program, Williams also won a
talent contest on Dennis James' program, Chance of a Lifetime.
In 1955 Williams recorded "Autumn Leaves", the only piano
instrumental to reach #1 on Billboard's popular music chart. While
many other recordings have been made of this song, Williams' version
is easily the best known and most played. It sold over two million
copies, and was awarded a gold disc. In 1966 he had another Top Ten
hit with the song "Born Free" from the motion picture soundtrack.
His other hits include "Near You," "Till," "The Impossible Dream," "Yellow
Bird," "Maria," and "The Theme From Somewhere In Time." Billboard
Magazine ranks him as the top selling piano recording artist in
history with 18 gold and platinum albums to his credit.
Williams is also known as the "Pianist to the Presidents" having
played for nine Chief Executives beginning with Harry S. Truman. His
most recent White House performance was in November 2008 for a
luncheon hosted by First Lady Laura Bush.
Still a popular draw with audiences, Williams performs concerts
around the country and headlines Las Vegas each year.
Williams invites the audience backstage to visit him at all concerts.
His interest in the public stems from a boyhood experience in Des
Moines, Iowa. After a piano concert by the Polish genius Ignacy Jan
Paderewski, young Roger waited for 45 minutes outside in the
freezing cold to meet his idol. When the pianist finally appeared it
was to rush to a waiting automobile. "I didn't even get near enough
to touch him or get an autograph," says Williams. "It was then and
there I resolved that if ever I became famous I would never
disappoint annyone who wanted to talk to me."
His Steinway & Sons "Gold Steinway" grand piano has been on tour for
public display and entertainment during 2007–2008.
The first pianist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
Williams is also the first (and so far only) artist to receive the
Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award and was featured at Carnegie
Hall for Steinway’s 150th Anniversary Celebration.
On his 75th birthday, Williams performed his first 12 hour piano
marathon. He has performed the marathon at Steinway Hall in New York
City and the Nixon, Carter and Reagan Presidential Libraries. With
no planned program, Williams plays hundreds of requests from the
thousands who file in to hear him. In 2010 the marathon venue was
held at the Musical Instrument Museum, Pheonix, Arizona.
(Info mainly Wikipedia)
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