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North
High Hall of Fame Inductee - 1987
Louis Weertz (Roger Williams)
Class of June, 1942 |
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Theater. Actor: 1956: "Camera Three"; 1980's: Tongues (1982);
1960's: Savage/Love (1981). Was one of the prime movers of off- Broadway
in the Sixties, when following his acting work with the Living Theater
started and for several years directed the Open Theatre.
Even though Joe's Hall of Fame induction was in 1987, the following
is appropriate information. An interview by Liz Diamond during the summer
of 1999: At the time of this interview, Joseph Chaikin, renowned actor
and theater director, was directing a revival of Tennessee Williams’s
The Glass Menagerie at Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven. Chaikin
is best known as the founder of Open Theater, one of the most influential
experimental theater groups in the United States. For nearly a decade,
Open Theater devoted itself to collaborative theatrical creations, producing
14 original works that dealt with essential problems of human existence;
creation, death, growth and change were just some of the vast subjects
explored. Among the many honors Chaikin’s work has received are the
Vernon Rice Award for Outstanding Contribution to the American Theater,
six Obie Awards, including the first Lifetime Achievement Award in 1977,
the National Endowment for the Arts First Annual Distinguished Service
to the American Theater Award and the Edwin Booth Award. |
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selling
piano recording of all time. Roger followed with more million-selling
records, charting Billboard hits in four different decades including
“Born Free,” “The Impossible Dream,” “Almost
Paradise,” “Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago," and
"Theme From Somewhere In Time." He has performed everywhere
from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl and the White House.
The latter has earned him the title of "Pianist to the Presidents"
playing for eight chief executives. He has a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame and is the only artist to receive the Steinway Lifetime
Achievement Award. He continues with 30-40 concerts a year. At
79, on October 2, 2003, Roger played a 13-1/2 hour marathon concert
in Palm Springs. On October 1, 2004, he played at the Carter Library
for President Carter, celebrating the 80th birthdays of both the
President and Roger. Roger runs several miles a day.
For North High grads...Roger
began practicing at the age of three on a piano in the basement
of St. John's Lutheran Church, Sixth and Keo, Des Moines, where
his father was the pastor. Roger was later the choir director
there. You may have heard him practicing occasionally at Babe's
on Sixth Avenue.
Click here for
high resolution/broadband of a selection from Roger's latest
appearance at Carnegie Hall http://www.mrpianotoday.com/ |
| You
are listening to the work of June, 1942's Louis Weertz, aka Roger
Williams, playing "Autumn Leaves". With an astounding
115 (18 gold and platinum) albums to his credit, Williams is the
greatest selling pianist in history. Williams first burst onto
the popular music scene when he recorded “Autumn Leaves”
in 1955. His version became an American classic and still stands
as the greatest |
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| Residing
in Encino, CA. |
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