He was born to a Lutheran minister, the Rev. Frederick J. Weertz (1891–1980) and a music teacher, Dorothea Bang Weertz (1895–1985), in Omaha, Nebraska. The family moved to Des Moines, Iowa, before his first birthday. He first played the piano at age three. In high school he became interested in boxing, mainly at his father's insistence, and only returned to music after breaking his nose several times and sustaining several other injuries.
He majored in piano at Drake University in Des Moines, but claimed he was expelled for playing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in the practice room. Weertz entered the United States Navy and served in World War II. While still in the Navy, he earned a bachelor's degree from Idaho State College (now Idaho State University) in 1950. Afterwards, Weertz re-enrolled at Drake, where he earned his master's degree. He then moved to New York City to attend Juilliard, where he studied jazz piano under Lennie Tristano and Teddy Wilson.
Williams won a talent contest on Dennis James' television program, Chance of a Lifetime. He was heard by David Kapp, founder of Kapp Records. Kapp was so impressed that he signed the pianist, changing his name to "Roger Williams" after the founder of Rhode Island.
In 1955 Williams recorded "Autumn Leaves", the only piano instrumental to reach #1 on Billboard's popular music chart. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It was the fourth #1 song of the "rock era," which unofficially began with the ascension of "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets into the top spot. In 1966 he had another Top Ten hit with the song "Born Free" from the motion picture soundtrack. His other hits include "Near You", "Till", "The Impossible Dream", "Yellow Bird", "Maria", and "The Theme from Somewhere in Time". Billboard magazine ranks him as the top selling piano recording artist in history with 18 gold and platinum albums to his credit. Williams was known as the "Pianist to the Presidents" having played for nine administrations beginning with Harry S. Truman. His last White House performance was in November 2008 for a luncheon hosted by First Lady Laura Bush.
His interest in the public stems from a boyhood experience in Des Moines, Iowa. After a piano concert by the Polish genius Ignacy Jan Paderewski, young Roger waited for 45 minutes outside in the freezing cold to meet his idol. When the pianist finally appeared it was to rush to a waiting automobile. "I didn't even get near enough to touch him or get an autograph," says Williams. "It was then and there I resolved that if ever I became famous I would never disappoint anyone who wanted to talk to me."
On his 75th birthday, Williams performed his first 12-hour piano marathon. He performed the marathon at Steinway Hall in New York City and the Nixon, Carter and Reagan Presidential Libraries. His Steinway & Sons "Gold Steinway" grand piano was on tour for public display and entertainment during 2007–2008.
In 2010 Roger Williams was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. At that time, "Autumn Leaves" was the best-selling piano solo record of all time and the only one ever to top the Billboard charts.
In March 2011 Williams posted on his website that he had pancreatic cancer and that his doctors had told him they could not remove the tumor until chemotherapy shrunk it to an operable size. Williams said that he did not plan on canceling any upcoming concerts. He wrote: "What does it all mean? It means I'm in just one more fight — the fight for my life.. And this much I know, this old Navy boxing champion is going for broke. Just watch me!"
Williams died on October 8, 2011, one week after his 87th birthday.
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Roger Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
The song "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Roger Williams is a romantic ballad that expresses a deep longing for someone's love and affection. The opening lines set the scene of a starry night, with a gentle breeze and singing birds, as the singer encourages someone to dream of him. The next lines ask the person to kiss him goodnight and hold him tight, as he is feeling alone and blue.
The lyrics then express the singer's love and desire to be with the other person, even as the stars begin to fade. He longs for their kiss and wants to stay with them until dawn. The final lines wish the person sweet dreams, free from worries, but also encourage them to dream of the singer, no matter what they may be dreaming about.
Overall, "Dream a Little Dream of Me" is a beautifully poetic expression of deep love and longing for someone else, set against the romantic backdrop of a clear starry night. The tender emotions and visceral imagery evoked in the lyrics make this song a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Stars shining bright above you
The night sky is bright and beautiful with stars.
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
The cool air seems to carry the message of love.
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
The birds are singing melodiously in the sycamore tree nearby.
Dream a little dream of me
The singer wants the listener to dream of being with them.
Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
The singer wants the listener to say goodnight and give them a kiss.
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
The singer wants the listener to embrace them tightly and express their longing for them.
While I'm alone and blue as can be
The singer is feeling lonely and sad.
Dream a little dream of me
The singer wants the listener to dream of being together with them and finding happiness.
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
The stars are disappearing, but the singer is still there, waiting for the listener.
Still craving your kiss
The singer still desires the listener's affection.
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
The singer wants to stay with the listener until morning.
Just saying this
The singer is expressing their true feelings.
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
The singer wants the listener to have sweet dreams until the sun comes up.
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
The singer wants the listener to have peaceful dreams without any worries or anxieties.
But in your dreams whatever they be
The singer wants the listener to dream of whatever makes them happy.
Dream a little dream of me
The singer asks the listener once again to dream of being with them and finding love.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fabian Andre, Gus Kahn, Wilbur Schwandt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind