Warren Williams (rock musician)

For other people named Warren Williams, see Warren Williams (disambiguation).
Warren Williams
Genres rock
Occupation(s) singer, songwriter
Years active 1958-present
Labels Leedon Records
Associated acts Warren Williams and the Squares

Warren Williams is a rock musician from Australia. In the 1950s, he was a pioneer of Australian rock music, forming the group Warren Williams and the Squares.[1] Williams was a prolific songwriter.[2]

The Squares

A former child soprano, Williams formed Warren Williams and the Squares in January 1958,[1] after the tradition of Bill Haley and His Comets. The group released their debut single "My Teenage Love" in December 1959 and "Kath-a-Leen" in April 1960.[2] By the end of 1960, Williams left the Squares. His first single of his solo career was "My Little Girl", released at the end of 1960.[2]

Television

Warren Williams and the Squares made their first television appearance on Six O'Clock Rock the Johnny O'Keefe-hosted television show in July 1959.[1] He was voted the sixth most popular artist on Six O'Clock Rock.[2] He starred on the popular music TV show Bandstand in the 1950s and 1960s.[3]

After the Squares

Williams signed with the Leedon label in 1961 and released several singles, e.g. "A Star Fell From Heaven". This song reached the lower top 20 in 1961 in several Australian states. He went on to form his own publishing company, Williams-Conde Music Pty Ltd., with Franz Conde. Williams joined the Courtmen in March 1964. The Courtmen backed him on his song "It's Party Time".[2]

In 1964, Beatlemania swept Australia. Williams' popularity began to lag with the rise of pop music. Williams took to performing in clubs and cabaret shows,[2] and then the nostalgia circuit.[2]

Warren Williams has four children, Andrew, Warren Jr., Darren, and Tracy. Andrew and Warren Jr. are popular performers in Sydney, Australia.[4]

Warren is also the great uncle of Australian Singer/Songwriter, Jode Gannon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 GR (5 May 2005). "Appeal lay in raw, rough approach - 50 Years of Aussie Rock 'n' Roll A Herald Advertising Feature". Newcastle Herald. Australia. p. 54. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Swift, Brendan. "Warren Williams Biography". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  3. ↑ "Bandstand stars bring back memories". Fairfield Advance. Sydney, Australia. 9 December 2009. p. 058.
  4. ↑ "Brotherly flair runs strongly in this family". Liverpool Leader. Sydney, Australia. 16 May 2007. p. 077.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.