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.
Saving All My Love for You
Roger Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got your family and they need you there
Though I've tried to resist being last on your list
But no other man's gonna do
So I'm saving all my love for you
It's not very easy living all alone
My friends try and tell me find a man of my own
'Cause I'd rather be home feeling blue
So I'm saving all my love for you
You used to tell me we'd run away together
Love gives you the right to be free
You said be patient just wait a little longer
But that's just an old fantasy
I've got to get ready just a few minutes more
Gonna get that old feeling when you walk through that door
'Cause tonight is the night for feeling alright
We'll be making love the whole night through
So I'm saving all my love for you
Yes I'm saving all my love
Yes I'm saving all my love for you
No other woman is gonna love you more
'Cause tonight is the night that I'm feeling alright
We'll be making love the whole night through
So I'm saving all my love
Yeah I'm saving all my lovin'
Yes I'm saving all my love for you
For you
The lyrics of Roger Williams's song "Saving All My Love for You" narrate the story of a woman who is in love with a man who is already married and has a family. She knows that hers and the man's relationship cannot be legitimized, and all they have are a few stolen moments of love. The love of her life is always occupied with his family's responsibilities, and she feels neglected but can't help saving all her love for him. Her friends advise her to move on and find someone who loves her back and be happy, but she would rather be alone and feel blue than be with anyone else. She dreams of running away with the man she loves, but she knows that it's an old fantasy and can never be possible, and now she is just waiting for him to walk through the door so that they can make love the whole night through.
The singer in the lyrics has given her heart and soul to a married man, and the lyrics help us understand the turmoil she's going through. Even though her love is one-sided, she can't help but hold on to the hope that someday, the man she loves will leave his married life behind and come to her. The lyrics also portray her dedication to him, as she chooses to save all her love for him even though she knows that she might be wasting her time. The song perfectly captures the emotions and sentiments of a young woman in love with a married man and the struggles she faces while waiting for him.
Line by Line Meaning
A few stolen moments is all that we share
Despite our limited time together, it is worth it to me because I love you.
You've got your family and they need you there
I understand that your family is important to you, and I don't want to come between you and your responsibilities.
Though I've tried to resist being last on your list
I don't want to feel like I'm not a priority to you, but I can't help my feelings either.
But no other man's gonna do
I am committed to you and only you, and I can't imagine being with anyone else.
So I'm saving all my love for you
I am reserving all of my love and affection for you and you alone.
It's not very easy living all alone
Being single can be difficult, and I long for companionship.
My friends try and tell me find a man of my own
Others may think I should move on, but I have my heart set on you.
But each time I try I just break down and cry
I've attempted to move on, but it's too painful to imagine being with anyone but you.
'Cause I'd rather be home feeling blue
Even though I'm sad without you, being alone at home is preferable to being with someone else.
You used to tell me we'd run away together
We used to have grand plans of starting a life together away from everything else.
Love gives you the right to be free
We believed that love would allow us to be free and do what we wanted without judgment.
You said be patient just wait a little longer
Even though things aren't perfect right now, we believed that eventually we'd be able to be together.
But that's just an old fantasy
Those plans now seem far-fetched and increasingly unlikely, and we may need to face the reality that we can't be together.
I've got to get ready just a few minutes more
I am eagerly anticipating your arrival and getting prepared for the night ahead.
Gonna get that old feeling when you walk through that door
I know that when I see you, all the love and passion I feel will come rushing back.
'Cause tonight is the night for feeling alright
Our time together tonight will make everything okay, even if just for a little while.
We'll be making love the whole night through
Our physical intimacy will be intense and passionate, and we will be focused only on each other.
No other woman is gonna love you more
I know that my love for you is strong and true, and I would do anything for you.
Yes I'm saving all my love
I am devoted to saving all of my love and emotional energy just for you.
Yeah I'm saving all my lovin'
My love is a precious commodity and I am saving it exclusively for you.
Yes I'm saving all my love for you
I love you deeply and unconditionally, and my heart will always belong to you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Michael Masser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind