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Spotlight
on Gary Williams
Who says Grimsby can’t be glamorous? It may not
always have been a Mecca for fans of glittering showbiz, but
after 15th December 1970 (put it in your diary,
girls!) this sleepy little northern fishing town would never
be the same.
You could say Gary’s mother was responsible
for his whole career – which was pretty much sealed for him
at the age of four, when she played him his first-ever Frank
Sinatra album. One of the classics, “Nice and Easy” has been
the inspiration for countless Sinatra fans over the years
and for our Ring-A-Ding Kid it was a perfect introduction
to what would become a passion.
The Williams household was to be treated to
hours of warblings over the next few years as Gary honed his
skills by listening, repeating – and adding a few things himself
as he went along. His late teens and early twenties
saw Gary’s first real treading of the boards in amateur productions
at first – “Oklahoma,” “West Side Story,” “South Pacific,”
“My Fair Lady,” “Guys and Dolls,” Carousel” – you name ‘em,
Gary was in em… From there it was a short step to playing
all manner of clubs, hotels and restaurants throughout the
country – where his reputation grew as he became better and
better known for his cheeky renditions of the classic swing
repertoire.
Gary’s first real break came as a full-length
concert with the Radio Big band which was featured on local
BBC radio – he went on to become a regular with the band on
shows such as “Pebble Mill.” Other favourite work includes
various jazz festivals, two open air concerts with David Jacobs
and Rosemarie Ford and any number of P&O/Olsen/Celebrity/Royal
Carribean cruises.
Gary has, more recently, moved into touring
productions – such as “The Magic of Bacharach,” tours with
Les Dennis and Rebecca Storm and as one of the Stutz Bear
Catz alongside Maggie Moone and Mark Rattray.
Gary isn’t just well-known in this country
– he has swung cabaret in New York and even done a British
Council tour off Amman. These days, Gary can be seen in London
at venues such as Pizza On The Park, Alexandra Palace and
The Grosvenor House. He has recorded four solo albums
and a fifth with all manner of famous people including Barbara
Dickson, Ron Moody, Gary Wilmot and the legendary Annie Ross.
Gary is well known up north for his weekly show on BBC
radio Humber and even has his own magazine programme on cable
TV.
The names Gary Williams and Opus One have
gone together like strawberries and cream ever since 1999
when they presented “My Kinda Sound” in conjunction with Surefire
Entertainment.
Since then, Gary has travelled with the band
from Canterbury to Kings Lynn, from Leeds to Bishops Stortford,
from Oldham to Romford, but the highlight
- so far, of course, was having the honour to perform
for the Annual Convention of the Sinatra Society in millennium
year – and being hailed by these oh-so-fussy delegates as
the best convention entertainment ever.
“It’s not every day I get to work with such
a big orchestra,” says Gary “and its always a thrill to be
accompanied by one who faithfully recreate the original orchestrations
by people such as Billy May, Nelson Riddle and Don Costa.”
For his part, Ted Higgins returns the respect
that Gary has for his band – “He is a total professional –
it is always a pleasurable and hassle-free experience,” he
says.
These days, Gary writes his own material and
has produced and toured several of his own shows – all with
a distinctly swingin’ feel – “Swingin’ On Broadway,” “The
Frank Sinatra Story” and “Gershwin and Co” which he toured
with David Jacobs.
The
Official Gary Williams Home Page
email:
info@opusonebigband.com
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