Post by Rob Durkee on Oct 8, 2011 16:39:32 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
LOS ANGELES (RTDP) -- Pianist Roger Williams, who was best known for the late 1955 #1 hit, "Autumn Leaves," died today, October 8, 2011 at his Los Angeles home. He had turned 87 a week earlier. According to the Associated Press and his former publicist, Rob Wilcox, Williams died from pancreatic cancer. He had announced on his web site last March that he was suffering from the disease. He would play his final concert in Palm Springs a few days later.
According to Wikipedia, Williams was told by doctors he'd have to have the tumor in him shrunk via chemotherapy before it could be removed. It's not believed that that happened. To his credit, Williams was philosophical and determined in announcing his situation. "What does it all mean? It means I'm in just one more fight-- the fight for my life," proclaimed Williams. "And this much I know: This old Navy boxing champion is going for broke. Just watch!"
Williams' boxing championship won during his Navy stint during World War II was no fluke. In 1959, he sparred with Swedish champion Ingemar Johansson at the latter's training camp in the Catskills.
Roger Williams released at least 116 albums (from 1955 to 2004), was the first pianist to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became known as "The Pianist To The Presidents." He played for every President from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. His last White House appearance was in November 2008, when he performed for a luncheon hosted by then-first lady Laura Bush. He would become close friends with two Presidents--Jimmy Carter, who was born the same day as Williams, and Ronald Reagan, whom Williams met at radio station WHO/Des Moines.
Among his many other honors were induction into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2010 and being the biggest selling pianist of all time.
Roger Williams was born Louis Weertz in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 1, 1924 and was playing the piano at age three. By age nine, he could play almost anything on a piano by ear. He took lessons from Lenny Tristano and Teddy Williams. (Roger) Williams honed his skills at Drake University in Des Moines, Idaho State College and New York City's famed Juilliard School of Music. He claimed he was once expelled from Drake for playing "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in a practice room. His winning performances on two TV shows--Dennis James' "Chance Of A Lifetime" and "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts"--led to his recording contract. He would also perform on TV shows like "The Steve Allen Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Perry Como Show."
According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research and writer Fred Bronson, "Autumn Leaves" was based on a 1947 French song written by Joseph Kosma entitled "Les Feullles Mortes." Dave Kapp, the President of Kapp Records, signed Weertz to a contract but insisted the pianist change his name. "He had to have a name that would stand up anywhere," said Kapp, who would name the pianist after the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams.
"Autumn Leaves" was #1 on the Cash Box pop chart for two weeks in November, 1955, and one key was the recording's time. The record label claimed the time was 2:52 but Williams insisted the time was a tad longer. In fact, one of his earliest recordings of the song took 3:03. "Disc jockeys wouldn't play records longer than three minutes at that time," Williams recalled, "So Kapp asked if I could play the thirds a little faster. I did and it came in at two minutes and 59 seconds."
"Autumn Leaves" was the biggest selling piano instrumental ever, selling over two million copies.
In a Cash Box pop chart career that spanned from 1955 to 1969, Williams had 22 chart singles and 11 top 40 hits. He just missed the top 10 in 1958 with "Near You," peaking at #12. In the fall of 1966, he scored a #7 hit with "Born Free" from the soundtrack of the movie about the lion named Elsa.
In 1999, when he turned 75, Williams performed his first 12-hour piano marathon at two sites...the Steinway Hall in New York City and the Nixon, Carter and Reagan Presidential Libraries. He took hundreds of requests from the audience.
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Idaho, another of Williams' many long-time friends, paid him perhaps the ultimate tribute, noting, "Roger was one of the greatest pianists in the world. He could play anything from classical music to jazz. He was one of the greatest personalities I've ever known. He could touch any audience, from teenagers to senior citizens."
LOS ANGELES (RTDP) -- Pianist Roger Williams, who was best known for the late 1955 #1 hit, "Autumn Leaves," died today, October 8, 2011 at his Los Angeles home. He had turned 87 a week earlier. According to the Associated Press and his former publicist, Rob Wilcox, Williams died from pancreatic cancer. He had announced on his web site last March that he was suffering from the disease. He would play his final concert in Palm Springs a few days later.
According to Wikipedia, Williams was told by doctors he'd have to have the tumor in him shrunk via chemotherapy before it could be removed. It's not believed that that happened. To his credit, Williams was philosophical and determined in announcing his situation. "What does it all mean? It means I'm in just one more fight-- the fight for my life," proclaimed Williams. "And this much I know: This old Navy boxing champion is going for broke. Just watch!"
Williams' boxing championship won during his Navy stint during World War II was no fluke. In 1959, he sparred with Swedish champion Ingemar Johansson at the latter's training camp in the Catskills.
Roger Williams released at least 116 albums (from 1955 to 2004), was the first pianist to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became known as "The Pianist To The Presidents." He played for every President from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. His last White House appearance was in November 2008, when he performed for a luncheon hosted by then-first lady Laura Bush. He would become close friends with two Presidents--Jimmy Carter, who was born the same day as Williams, and Ronald Reagan, whom Williams met at radio station WHO/Des Moines.
Among his many other honors were induction into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2010 and being the biggest selling pianist of all time.
Roger Williams was born Louis Weertz in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 1, 1924 and was playing the piano at age three. By age nine, he could play almost anything on a piano by ear. He took lessons from Lenny Tristano and Teddy Williams. (Roger) Williams honed his skills at Drake University in Des Moines, Idaho State College and New York City's famed Juilliard School of Music. He claimed he was once expelled from Drake for playing "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in a practice room. His winning performances on two TV shows--Dennis James' "Chance Of A Lifetime" and "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts"--led to his recording contract. He would also perform on TV shows like "The Steve Allen Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Perry Como Show."
According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research and writer Fred Bronson, "Autumn Leaves" was based on a 1947 French song written by Joseph Kosma entitled "Les Feullles Mortes." Dave Kapp, the President of Kapp Records, signed Weertz to a contract but insisted the pianist change his name. "He had to have a name that would stand up anywhere," said Kapp, who would name the pianist after the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams.
"Autumn Leaves" was #1 on the Cash Box pop chart for two weeks in November, 1955, and one key was the recording's time. The record label claimed the time was 2:52 but Williams insisted the time was a tad longer. In fact, one of his earliest recordings of the song took 3:03. "Disc jockeys wouldn't play records longer than three minutes at that time," Williams recalled, "So Kapp asked if I could play the thirds a little faster. I did and it came in at two minutes and 59 seconds."
"Autumn Leaves" was the biggest selling piano instrumental ever, selling over two million copies.
In a Cash Box pop chart career that spanned from 1955 to 1969, Williams had 22 chart singles and 11 top 40 hits. He just missed the top 10 in 1958 with "Near You," peaking at #12. In the fall of 1966, he scored a #7 hit with "Born Free" from the soundtrack of the movie about the lion named Elsa.
In 1999, when he turned 75, Williams performed his first 12-hour piano marathon at two sites...the Steinway Hall in New York City and the Nixon, Carter and Reagan Presidential Libraries. He took hundreds of requests from the audience.
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Idaho, another of Williams' many long-time friends, paid him perhaps the ultimate tribute, noting, "Roger was one of the greatest pianists in the world. He could play anything from classical music to jazz. He was one of the greatest personalities I've ever known. He could touch any audience, from teenagers to senior citizens."