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.
Some Enchanted Evening
Roger Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
And somehow you know, you know even then,
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Once you have found her, never let her go,
Once you have found her, never let her go.
The song "Some Enchanted Evening" by Roger Williams is a romantic ballad that describes the feeling of meeting someone special in a crowded room. The lyrics evoke a sense of destiny and enchantment, as if love has a mystical power over us. The first verse describes the moment when you see a stranger across a crowded room and somehow you just know that you'll see that person again. This feeling of premonition is further emphasized in the second verse where you hear someone laughing and the sound of that laughter will stay with you in your dreams.
The chorus asks the questions, "who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try." This suggests that love is an inexplicable force that we cannot control or fully understand. The last verse culminates in finding your true love and hearing her call you across a crowded room. The urgency in the lyrics is emphasized by the command to "fly to her side and make her your own". If you don't, you risk dreaming alone for the rest of your life.
Line by Line Meaning
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
On a magical night, it's possible to catch sight of an unfamiliar face.
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
Despite the crowdedness of the place, the stranger may stand out.
And somehow you know, you know even then,
Somehow, an inexplicable feeling tells you that you'll cross paths again.
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
And when you do, that person will seem familiar and significant.
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
During a magical night, you might hear someone laughing.
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
The sound of that person's laughter can penetrate through the noise of the crowd.
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
Oddly, you'll hear that same laughter in your dreams.
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.
That sound will be stuck in your head, lingering in your subconscious.
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
What causes these intense feelings is indescribable and unfathomable.
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Only naive people offer logical explanations for such matters, while wise people recognize them as inexplicable wonders.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
If you're lucky enough to meet your soulmate on a magical night,
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
And if she happens to call your name from the other side of the crowd,
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
You should rush towards her and claim her as your partner for life without hesitation.
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Failing to seize that opportunity means you may spend the rest of your life searching and longing for love.
Once you have found her, never let her go,
Once you're fortunate enough to find your true love, hold onto them tightly.
Once you have found her, never let her go.
Don't ever let go of the person who completes you and makes life infinitely more enchanting.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind