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.
Singin' In The Rain
Roger Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place
Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
I'll walk down the lane with a happy refrain
And singin' just singin' in the rain
Why am I smilin' and why do I sing?
Why does December seem sunny as Spring?
Why do I get up each morning to start happy
And get up with joy in my heart?
Why is each new task a trifle to do?
Because I am living a life full of you
I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place
Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
I'll walk down the lane with a happy refrain
And singin' just singin' in the rain
The song "Singin' In The Rain" by Roger Williams is a celebration of the joy and elation that comes with being in love. The singer starts by expressing his happiness, which he associates with the positive feeling of being outside in the rain, singing and enjoying life. He is able to find joy amid the metaphorically dark clouds above, because he has love in his heart. He also invites everyone to come and join in his happiness, telling them to allow the stormy clouds to chase them away, while he sings merrily in the rain.
As the song progresses, the singer further reflects on why he is so happy and why he always wakes up with joy in his heart. He attributes it to the love he has in his life, making every task seem trivial and unimportant because of the immense love that he feels. The constant reminder of this love, no matter how small, contributes to the state of constant happiness that the singer experiences.
The song lyrics are filled with joy, positivity, and celebration of life because of love. It is an optimistic song that encourages the listener to not give up on life even when they feel weighed down by the clouds of life. This song has become an icon for cinema when Gene Kelly danced to it in the classic 1952 musical film of the same name.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain
Expressing joy and contentment in any situation, even when conditions are less than ideal.
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
The feeling of happiness is a glorious one after a brief period of disappointment or sadness.
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
I'm embracing the positivity and choosing to look at the bright side of a cloudy, hopeless situation. Laughter helps see situations in a new and humorous light.
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
I'm ready to embrace new opportunities and love as my heart is filled with warmth and positivity.
Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place
I'm comforted by the presence of stormy clouds around me as it scares away negative people and energies from my atmosphere.
Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
I'm eager to welcome fresh beginnings and opportunities that arise from every new circumstance, no matter how difficult it may be.
I'll walk down the lane with a happy refrain
I'll keep moving forward joyously towards what I love, singing a happy expression, letting go of the challenges that come my way.
And singin' just singin' in the rain
I will continue to be happy and grateful no matter what the circumstances may be, and always find something to smile about.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind