eXclusive (Gctnews24.blogspot.com) Roger Williams, a virtuoso pianist who topped the Billboard pop chart in the 1950s and played for nine U.S. presidents at some stage in a long career, voted for away Saturday.
He was 87. The thrilling stage performer and an adept improviser died at home in Los Angeles of complication from pancreatic cancer, according to reports.
Williams' 1955 hit "Autumn Leaves" is the only piano instrumental to reach No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts and remains the best-selling piano record of all time.
Nicknamed the "pianist to the presidents," Williams played for every commander in chief from Harry Truman to George H.W. Bush. His last trip to the White House be in 2008, when he perform at a luncheon for then-first lady Laura Bush.
Williams was superior friends with Jimmy Carter, with whom he shared a birthday. When the two men turned 80, Williams played a 12-hour marathon at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, with the previous president in turnout.
Born Louis Wertz in Nebraska, Williams in progress playing piano at age 3. By age 9 he was prolific with several instrument and could play anything by ear.
"I had a piano teacher mounting up who would never play a song for me, she would make me play it from sheet music so I could learn to read music," Williams said, according to biographical in order provided by Wilcox.
As a teenager, he was given his own 15-minute radio show on KRNT-AM, which was broadcast live from a Des Moines, Iowa, section store. Later he hosted a curriculum on WHO-AM, where he primary met the station's young sports anchor, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan. The two men started a friendship which lasted over 60 years.
Posts
i am so sad! :'(