KWXY Presents ● An Interview with Roger Williams
Kapp Records / Mr. Piano, Album by Roger Williams - 1962
Roger Williams was a popular music pianist, a veteran of World War II where he was a Navy boxing champion and “one of the most popular instrumentalists of the mid-20th century” according to the Los Angeles Times. His first hit in 1955, “Autumn Leaves,” is the best-selling piano recording in history. Billboard ranks Williams as “the top-selling piano recording artist in history.” He recorded twenty-one gold and platinum albums.
He was born Louis Jacob Weertz on October 1, 1924 in Omaha, Nebraska. His family moved to Des Moines, Iowa before his first birthday and he began playing piano by age three. By age twelve, Williams was able to play thirteen instruments and was able to play any song by ear. As a piano major at Drake University, he was expelled for violating the school’s policy of classical music only in the practice rooms.
Williams soon entered the Navy where he was based in Idaho and became the middleweight boxing champion. He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering at Idaho State College in 1950, re-enrolled at Drake where he earned a master's degree in music in 1951 and later moved to New York City to study at Julliard.
Williams won two talent contests which brought him to greater attention: Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts on radio in 1951 and the television show, Chance of a Lifetime, hosted by Dennis James in 1952. In 1954, he was signed to Kapp Records where founder David Kapp gave him his professional name, “Roger Williams,” after the founder of Rhode Island.
1955 brought enormous success with the release of “Autumn Leaves,” becoming the only piano instrumental to reach number one where it would stay for four weeks, going on to sell more than two million copies. In 1966, Williams had a Top 10 hit with the theme from the movie, Born Free which also appeared on the soundtrack album. He also played the main theme of the 1980 film, Somewhere in Time and his music was featured on the soundtracks of More than a Miracle in 1967, Untamed Heart in 1993 and Reckless in 1995.
MCA Management Publicity photo of pianist Roger Williams in 1958
He earned the nicknames of “Mr. Piano” and “Pianist to the Presidents,” having performed for every US president from Harry Truman to George H.W. Bush. Williams was also well known for his caring and positive attitude toward his fans, which he attributes to a childhood incident in Des Moines after a piano concert by Ignacy Paderewski when he tried to meet the pianist but failed.
His honors include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, induction into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, the first pianist honored with the Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award and on his 80th birthday, Steinway presented him with the “Roger Williams Limited Edition Gold Piano.” The piano features an Art Deco art case featuring Williams’s signature and the first verse of “Autumn Leaves.”
Roger Williams was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011, succumbing to the disease in Encino, California on October 8, 2011. He will forever be “Mr. Piano”.
Listen to Music and an Interview with Roger Williams “Mr. Piano” today at 1pm on KWXY Music Radio 92.3FM ● 1340AM ● streaming at kwxy.com and ivoxradio.com