Roger Williams

Roger Williams, born Louis Jacob Weertz on 1 October 1924 in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American pianist known for his easy listening and middle-of-the-road music. He began playing the piano at age three and initially pursued a career in boxing before returning to music. His breakthrough came in 1955 when he signed with Kapp Records and released Autumn Leaves, which became the only piano instrumental to reach number one on Billboard’s popular music charts. He claimed 23 hit singles to his name, including "Born Free" (1966)—from the movie of the same name—and 38 hit albums between 1955 and 1972. Notable songs include "Near You" and "Till". He was known as the 'Pianist to the Presidents', performing for nine US presidential administrations, starting with Harry S. Truman in 1948. He appeared in various film soundtracks, including Somewhere in Time (1980). He was awarded the Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2010. In March 2011, he announced he had pancreatic cancer but continued performing until his death on 8 October 2011.

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