Биография Gary Williams

Star of the West End’s ‘Rat Pack’ Gary Williams first came to public attention when he appeared with the BBC Big Band on Pebble Mill paying tribute to Vic Damone. He soon became the band’s regular singer, touring the country and broadcasting on Radio 2’s Big Band Special. Since then Gary has become a favourite with the country’s leading big bands including Back to Basie, Opus One and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra with whom he recorded songs for their Swing Sing Swing album. He is a regular guest of the BBC Concert Orchestra for Friday Night Is Music Night – the world’s longest running radio programme.

As a soloist in the concert hall, Gary has worked with numerous orchestras including the Hallé, Lahti Symphony, Royal Scottish National, the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, CBSO, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Icelandic Sinfonia and Ireland’s RTE.

Gary had the honour of performing at Buckingham Palace for The Prince of Wales with the John Wilson Orchestra, and has worked alongside artistes as varied as opera star Maria Ewing and Burt Bacharach. He starred in the 50th anniversary concert of ‘Songs for Swingin’ Lovers’ with Nelson Riddle’s daughter Rosemary, and ‘Putting on My Top Hat’ with Fred Astaire’s daughter, Ava.

Gary has toured with David Jacobs in ‘The Legend of Sinatra’, Opus One with ‘My Kinda Sound’ and in 2004 enjoyed his West End debut, recreating the role of Frank Sinatra for 150 performances of ‘The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas’ at The Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Strand and the subsequent 2005 European Tour to Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands. In 2006 his cabaret show ‘An Evening with Gary Williams’ sold out at London’s Pizza on the Park as did ‘A Swingin’ Christmas’ at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. In 2007 Gary opened the ‘White Christmas’ orchestral tour with two sell-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

Television includes ITV’s ‘The Mint’, BBC1’s ‘Pebble Mill’ and he was a regular guest on Channel 5’s ‘Open House’ with Gloria Hunniford, working alongside Donny Osmond and Cliff Richard. Gary performed two new songs for ‘Doctor Who – A Celebration’ from Cardiff’s Millennium Centre complete with Daleks, Cybermen, and the Welsh National Concert Orchestra (broadcast on BBC1’s Christmas day special and available on BBC DVD). Gary has appeared on Radio 2’s ‘Jazz Notes’, is a regular guest of Radio 4’s ‘Loose Ends’ and has contributed to ‘Excess Baggage’ and ‘You and Yours’.

Internationally Gary has presented concerts in Florence, Portugal, Finland, Iceland, Oslo, Jordan (for the British Council). A regular headliner for the world’s largest cruise lines, including the QE2, and has visited over 50 countries including such varied places as Alaska, Brazil, the Falkland Islands, Norway, Hawaii, China, Japan and Beirut. He has entertained numerous private and corporate audiences at The Ritz, The Savoy, The Dorchester, The Ivy, The Pigalle, The Houses of Parliament, Alexandra Palace and Spencer House. For two years he performed with his musicians at the Royal Garden Hotel’s ‘Manhattan Nights’.

Gary’s nine solo albums enjoy much BBC Radio 2 airplay; his 2004 orchestral album, ‘Alone Together’, recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the 34 piece John Wilson Orchestra, was well received by the critics. His current album ‘In the Lounge with Gary Williams’, also recorded at Abbey Road, was released to rave reviews and Gary recently revisited the famous studios to record his latest album ‘Swingin’ on Broadway’ which is out now. He has recorded alongside Petula Clark and Barbara Dickson for the Reader’s Digest’s ‘Timeless Classics’ series and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia with Gavin Sutherland for ‘What A Carry On!’. He also recorded two songs for the Warner Brothers movie “Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution”, starring Catherine Tate and Iain Glenn.

In 2002 Gary received the Outstanding Support Award from children’s charity When You Wish Upon A Star and was recently given the RNLI’s Bronze Award. In 2008 he was invited to Downing Street in recognition of his work for the Caron Keating Foundation.

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