Anecdotes

Roger Williams' piano rendition of "Autumn Leaves" in October 1955, is the greatest-selling piano instrumental of all time and the only piano recording to reach #1 on the Billboard Hits chart.

His piano version of "Born Free", the title theme from the 1966 movie hit, Vivre libre (1966), made the song popular even before it won an Academy Award.

First pianist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at Hollywood & 1533 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Performed annual Piano Marathons, playing continually for 14 hours improvised medleys of audience requested songs. Williams could play over 10,000 melodies by ear.

Roger Williams earned him the title, "Pianist to the Presidents," having played for nine chief executives, from Truman to Bush.

On October 1, 2004, Roger Williams and President Jimmy Carter celebrated their mutual 80th birthdays together at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Williams performed a 13 1/2 our Piano Marathon there that day.

A Steinway Artist, Williams was the first pianist that Steinway & Sons honored with the "Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award," and the only pianist they designed a series of pianos for, known as the "Roger Williams Limited Edition Gold Piano".

Williams recorded over 100 albums, with 38 hit albums and 22 hit singles over five decades, including Born Free, Impossible Dream, Maria, Lara's Theme, Till, Near You, Almost Paradise, Two Different Worlds, Nadia's Theme, and Somewhere in Time.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer [March 22, 2011].