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.
Star Dust
Roger Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
The song "Star Dust" by Roger Williams is a poignant and nostalgic ballad that reflects on the power of memory to endure beyond the fleeting nature of human experiences. The opening lines set the scene for the melancholic mood of the song, as the "purple dusk of twilight time" represents the onset of darkness and the fading of light, which symbolizes the passing of time and the inevitability of change. The metaphor of the "meadows of my heart" emphasizes the emotional terrain of the singer's inner world, which is a landscape of memories and thoughts that are tied to the experience of love and loss.
The theme of separation and longing is evident in the image of the stars climbing high up in the sky, which serves as a reminder of the distance between the lovers. The chorus emphasizes the power of music to evoke the past and bring back memories of romantic experiences that have been lost to time. The second verse amplifies the sense of nostalgia as the singer wonders how to fill the void of loneliness and yearning that is left by the absence of his loved one. The imagery of dreaming of a song and being haunted by the melody is a reflection of the power of art to transcend the limitations of reality and to transport us to a different time and place. The final verse provides a bittersweet ending to the song, as the memory of love's refrain remains despite the impossibility of returning to the paradise of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The sunset time of day is now present.
Steals across the meadows of my heart
The time of day is overwhelming and affects the person deeply.
High up in the sky the little stars climb
The stars are rising implying that time is passing.
Always reminding me that we're apart
The constant presence of the stars remind the person that they are separated from their loved one.
You wander down the lane and far away
The loved one has moved on and is no longer with the person.
Leaving me a song that will not die
The person is left with a constant reminder of their love through a song that will not be forgotten.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
Love is now in the past.
The music of the years gone by.
The important music from their past love still holds relevance even after many years.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The person reflects on how they spend their time.
The lonely nights
The person feels lonely in the absence of their loved one.
Dreaming of a song
The person dreams of the song they shared with their loved one.
The melody
The tune of the song is what is remembered most.
Haunts my reverie
The tune of the song remains in the person's memories and thoughts.
And I am once again with you
The person experiences feelings of being together with their loved one again.
When our love was new
This time refers to when their love was new, filled with excitement and passion.
And each kiss an inspiration
Each kiss of the past ignited the person with newfound creativity and inspiration.
But that was long ago
This passionate time from the past is long gone.
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
The person finds comfort in the memory of the song and its lasting effect.
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
The person remembers a specific location and moment in time where they shared an intimate moment.
You are in my arms
The person remembers embracing their loved one in this moment.
The nightingale
The bird is a symbol of love and the natural world.
Tells his fairytale
The song the nightingale sings is seen as a story about love.
Of paradise, where roses grew
The song the bird sings is a picture of an idyllic paradise where there is a lot of love and pleasant things.
Though I dream in vain
The person understands that their dream of being together again is not achievable.
In my heart it will remain
The memory of that time will stay with the person forever.
My stardust melody
The tune that only exists as a memory is a reminder of the past love.
The memory of love's refrain.
The chorus of the song is a memory of love that will stay with the person forever.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
troika troika
Unique...interpretation !...Bravo!
manana siradze
My pleasure