World Renowned Pianist Roger Williams Dead at 87

World Renowned Pianist Roger Williams Dead at 87

Los Angeles - Famous virtuoso pianist, Roger Williams, died Saturday at the age of 87.  Williams had topped the Billboard charts in the 50s and had played for a total of 9 US presidents in his long and fruitful career as a pianist.

Williams had struggled from pancreatic cancer before finally giving up. According to Rob Wilcox, Williams’ publicist, he died at his Los Angeles home from complications brought about by his cancer of the pancreas. Williams was known for his electrifying stage performances and being an adept music improviser.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, being a musician himself, said that Roger was a long time friend of his. He was one of the world’s greatest pianists. He could play any musical style from classical to jazz. He could touch any kind of audience from youngsters to mature spectators.

Autumn Leaves, the 1955 hit of Roger Williams, was the first and only piano instrumental to top the Billboard pop charts at number 1. It is the also the best selling piano album of all time, selling more than 2 million album copies worldwide. He was called the pianist of the US presidents for having played for a total of 9 American commanders-in-chief. He first played for President Harry Truman while George H.W. Bush was the last one in 2008.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Monday October 10 2011, 5:41 AM EST. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0