Roger Williams burst on the popular music scene in 1955 when he recorded “Autumn Leaves,” a cascading melody that still stands as the best-selling piano recording of all time. Other hits followed, including “Born Free,” “The Impossible Dream” and “Lara's Theme” from “Dr. Zhivago,” helping Williams rack up 18 gold and platinum albums and making him the best-selling pianist in history.

Drawing from his repertoire of 10,000 memorized songs -- and he can play all of them in any key -- the musician can weave as many as 30 or 40 requests into a seamless medley, segueing easily from Rachmaninoff, Rossini and Debussy to Ellington, Gillespie and Mancini.

People ask for different things every night ... Beethoven sonatas and jazz tunes. Of course, if they hit Williams with a new rap song or hip-hop, they might stump him, but it’s doubtful.

Williams doesn’t run from the opportunity to teach them a thing or two about the classics. (One of his missions is to get music back in public schools, particularly since arts programs often are the first casualties of school budget cuts).

Williams has always been a popular soloist with major symphony pop orchestras across the country. The following Q&A mini-interview took place on the run between Williams’ dressing room and the stage set up under a large circus tent at NorthPark shopping center in Dallas at the venue known then as SummerTop. (You can listen to part of the interview by tuning in to Don Aly’s Lost Celebrity Tapes. Check it out on the Home Page of Don Aly’s Celebrity Scene).


Q. You have a history of performing and recording some great movie themes. How do you decide, out of all the films that are released each year, which one will take off at the box office and which one has the best potential music track?
A. Oh, I’m very brilliant that way. I recorded “King Kong.” I recorded “New York New York.” I turned down “Star Wars” and “Rocky.”

Q. Does that mean you didn’t like the music from the“Star Wars” and “Rocky” sound tracks or does it mean you just goofed up on your selection?
A. Well, I try to use good judgement when picking what I want to perform, especially what I want to record. You have to be a good guesser.

Q. So, in the case of “Star Wars” and “Rocky,” does that mean you guessed wrong, or does it mean you can’t always outguess the public’s taste when it comes to music?
A. Well, truthfully, sometimes, I’m not very lucky when it comes to taking a chance on what the public wants. And, sometimes, you frankly don’t have a clue what they want.

Q. It’s a gamble then?
A. You bet. When you pick movie themes, it’s a big gamble. You have to guess before the movie becomes a big hit and wins all those awards, because you don’t have the opportunity of seeing the movie.

Q. “King Kong” has to rank as one of the classic movies of all time. How do you figure what happened with the sound track?
A. I dunno, man. All you can do is use your own judgement and roll the dice. Or listen to the advice of others, maybe. They told me “King Kong” was going to be much bigger than “Star Wars.”

Q. You certainly hit gold with “Born Free.” Was that a judgment call?
A. Yes we did. That was a good judgment call. You win a few and you lose a few, and you hope you win more than you lose.

Q. People who buy your albums seem to have remained Roger Williams fans no matter what you record. And, they seem to be just as fanatical about your live performances. What’s your secret?
A. No secret at all. I just enjoy playing and the audience has a good time.

Q. Your choice of venues is amazing. You perform in big concert halls, little dives, at private parties and even outdoors, under a circus tent. Is there a reason for your versatility when it comes to entertaining?
A. Hey, I’ll play anywhere. The condition of the gig doesn’t matter to me. If people want to come see me perform and listen to me play, I’ll be there.

Q. When you perform, you tend to make everything look so easy. But, I know that’s not always the case. To keep your performance skills at such a high level, do you have to spend a great deal of time practicing?
A. Absolutely. And pianists have a really tough time. We have to keep our chops up, you know, keep our fingers limber, because, otherwise, if you’re not careful, they really stiffen up on you.

Q. Discipline and regularity is important, isn’t it?
A. I couldn’t have said it better. You know, most fans of popular or classical music don’t realize it, but we’re a lot like the athlete. The fans come to the arena or concert hall, to see us and hear us play. But they don’t hang around much at practice. And, I work out every day.

Q. Is that why you’ve been so successful?
A. I don’t concern myself too much about where I play or what I play. Or even how much I practice. The only thing I really care about is how well I play. That’s the important thing.