Gary Williams (born 15 December 1970) is a British jazz singer, writer, broadcaster and award-winning photographer. Williams has recorded ten solo albums, and written ''Cabaret Secrets'' a book on stagecraft. His photography has been exhibited worldwide and published in the New York Times.

Music career

Williams started his career in social clubs before performing with the

BBC Big Band The BBC Big Band, originally known as the BBC Radio Big Band is a British big band, previously run under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The band broadcasts exclusively on BBC Radio, particularly on BBC Radio 2's long ...

BBC Radio Humberside BBC Radio Humberside is the Local BBC Radio, BBC's local radio station serving the former county of Humberside which includes the unitary authorities of England, unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolns ...

. This led to appearances on BBC Radio 2's '' Big Band Special'', BBC television's ''

Pebble Mill at One ''Pebble Mill at One'' was a British television magazine programme that was broadcast live on weekdays at one o'clock on BBC1, from 2 October 1972 to 23 May 1986, and again from 14 October 1991 to 29 March 1996. It was transmitted from the Peb ...

'' with David Jacobs, and Gloria Hunniford's '' Open House'' with

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

. He played the role of Frank Sinatra for the West End show ''

The Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of singers that, in its second iteration, ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business friends, s ...

'' for 150 performances at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

, the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

, and subsequent UK and European tours. In 2006 he performed in BBC1's 'Doctor Who – A Celebration' concert with

David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...

and the

BBC National Orchestra of Wales The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) () is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both ...

with the

BBC National Chorus of Wales The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) () is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both ...

conducted by Ben Foster. In 2007 he recorded two songs for the soundtrack of the Warner Bros' motion picture '' Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution''. He regularly performs in cabaret at

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sc ...

, The Crazy Coqs, The Pheasantry, privately for theatre producer

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "t ...

and with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. He is a regular soloist in the concert hall with the

CBSO The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its adminis ...

, RSNO,

Halle Orchestra Halle may refer to: Places Germany * Halle (Saale), or Halle an der Saale, Saxony-Anhalt ** Halle (electoral district) ** Halle (region), a governmental district 1952–2004 ** Bezirk Halle, a district 1952–1990 ** Halle-Neustadt, a former ci ...

, RLPO,

BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...

(for ''Friday Night Is Music Night''),

Lahti Symphony Orchestra The Lahti Symphony Orchestra (''Sinfonia Lahti'') is a Finland, Finnish orchestra, based in the city of Lahti. The orchestra is resident at the Sibelius Hall. The orchestra was founded in 1910, and placed under the control of the Lahti municipali ...

Northern Sinfonia Royal Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, founded in Newcastle upon Tyne and currently based in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history the orchestra gave most of its concerts at the Newcastle City Hall. It also gave mont ...

, the

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on fun ...

, the

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a South Australian orchestra based in Adelaide, established in 1936. The orchestra's primary performance venue is the Adelaide Town Hall, but the ASO also performs in other venues. It provides the orchest ...

for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the

RTÉ Concert Orchestra The RTÉ Concert Orchestra is a professional radio orchestra in Ireland and is part of RTÉ, the national broadcaster. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra has grown from a small studio-bas ...

. His most popular show is the interactive ''Sinatra Jukebox'' where, "instead of an hour of songs and anecdote, halfway through members of the audience were invited to fill in request forms". Reviewing the show, ''Cabaret Scenes'' said, "I can think of no other singer to better pay homage to Ol' Blue Eyes on his 100th birthday." In 2014 he performed on BBC Radio 2 with the BBC Concert Orchestra for ''David Jacobs – A Celebration'' alongside

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1985, he made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in the original production of ''Les Misérables''. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles C ...

Joe Stilgoe Joe Stilgoe (born 29 May 1979) is an English singer, pianist and songwriter. Early life and education Stilgoe was born in Sevenoaks, Kent. He is the son of the lyricist and entertainer Richard Stilgoe, and opera singer Annabel Hunt. Educated ...

Liz Robertson Liz Robertson (born 4 May 1954) is an English actress and singer and the widow of playwright and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner. She is especially well known for her performances as Madame Giry, having played the role in the original cast of '' Love Ne ...

, and

Marti Webb Marti Webb (born 1943) is an English actress and singer. She appeared on stage in '' Evita'' before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman show '' Tell Me on a Sunday'' in 1980. This included her biggest hit single, " Take That Look Off Yo ...

. In 2015 he made his debut at

Bestival Bestival was a four-day music festival held in the south of England. The name Bestival is a portmanteau of the words best and festival. It had been held annually in the late summer since 2004 at Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight. In 2017 the festi ...

and the following year at

Camp Bestival Camp Bestival is a British music festival, the "little sister" of Bestival, both organised by BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank. It is held annually, in July, at Lulworth Castle in Dorset and is targeted at families with small children. In 2019 it h ...

. Williams's Christmas show ''A Swingin' Christmas'' was given a five star review by the ''London Evening Standard'' and described as "The jolliest sleigh-ride in town!". The same show was given four stars by ''The Times'', which on the same night gave Michael Bublé's show at the O2 three stars. A big band version of the show was aired on

Sky Arts Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, films, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...

on 18th December 2022 with the LP Swing Orchestra and

Mica Paris Michelle Antoinette Wallen (born 27 April 1969), known professionally as Mica Paris ( ), is an English singer, presenter, and actress. Her debut album, '' So Good'', was released in 1988, spawning the singles " My One Temptation" and " Where I ...

. In 2017, ''The Sunday Times'' profiled Williams, describing him as "one of the country's best-loved crooners". In 2022 he made his New York debut at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

as part of a tribute concert to

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

, staged by the Mabel Mercer Foundation.

Recording career

In 2004, Williams recorded ''Alone Together'' with the

John Wilson Orchestra The John Wilson Orchestra was formed by the British conductor John Wilson in 1994. It performs the original arrangements of MGM musicals and the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The orchestra performed annually in The Proms summer festival betw ...

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

. He returned to the studios for ''In the Lounge with Gary Williams'' and ''Swingin' on Broadway'', both recorded with his own band. Highlights of these three albums appeared on ''Gary Williams – The Best of Abbey Road'', released in 2010. Also in 2010 he released ''Gary Williams Meets Frank Sinatra'', recorded with Chris Dean and His Orchestra, which was awarded Jazz FM's album of the week. In 2011 he released ''Let There Be Love – A Celebration of Nat King Cole with the James Pearson Trio''. Recorded live in 2003, it lay forgotten about until rediscovered late 2010. ''Gary Williams Live in Brazil'' was released in 2013. In 2015 after a successful

crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...

appeal he released a big band Christmas album ''Big Band Wonderland''. In 2017 Williams released ''Gary Williams at the Movies'', which was awarded four stars by the ''London Evening Standard'' which said, "This selection of movie tunes sung with Sinatra-esque flair, will transport you down memory lane and get your serotonin levels soaring." In 2018 he released 'Treasure Seeker' his first album as a singer/songwriter.

Broadcaster

Williams has hosted the weekly musical biography show ''The Legends of Las Vegas'' for The Wireless by

Age UK Age UK is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 25 February 2009 and launched on 1 April 2009, as a merging of Age Concern England and Help the Aged. Despite the national merger, many local Age Concern charities decided not to ...

. He hosted the weekly podcast ''In Conversation Radio'', similar in style to ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

'', and guests included Fred Astaire's daughter Ava Astaire MacKenzie,

Christopher Biggins Christopher Biggins (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television personality. He became widely known for his roles in television series such as ''Porridge'', '' Poldark'' and '' I, Claudius'' in the 1970s. He later became known for ...

, and

Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist and former politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but did not seek re-election after a fina ...

. He has contributed to BBC Radio 4's ''Excess Baggage'' and its consumer program ''You and Yours''. Other broadcasting work includes a two-hour special for the centenary of Frank Sinatra for BBC Radio Humberside, a contributor for Don Black's ''Cabaret Night''s on BBC Radio 2, two-hour Christmas specials for BBC Radio Humberside in 2016 and 2017 and a one-hour special on ''The Art of the Crooner'' for BBC Radio 2 50s. Williams also does corporate presenting and voice-over work.

Writing

Williams' book ''Cabaret Secrets: How to create your own show, travel the world and get paid to do what you love'' has been featured in Time Out London, described as "an ideal vade mecum for anybody who wants to succeed in cabaret".

Photography career

Williams is also a portrait and wedding photographer. His work has been included in the Picturing High Streets national collection within the

Historic England Archive The Historic England Archive is the public archive of Historic England, located in The Engine House on Fire Fly Avenue in Swindon, formerly part of the Swindon Works of the Great Western Railway. It is a public archive of architectural and arc ...

for

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

, exhibited at the Decode Gallery, Trieste Photo Festival, published in The New York Times (singer

Melissa Errico Melissa Errico (born March 23, 1970)"Melissa Errico"
profile,

), ArtDoc Photography Magazine (singer

Barb Jungr Barb Jungr (born 9 May 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and theatre writer, who has recorded versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Sting, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen. Career Barb Jungr was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, ...

), printed on the

Nicky Haslam Nicholas Ponsonby Haslam (born 27 September 1939) is an English interior designer and socialite, and founder of the London-based interior design firm, Nicky Haslam Studio. Early life and education Haslam was born at Great Hundridge Manor, Ame ...

“Common Tea Towel” and has had five images officially selected for the International Photography Awards. In 2024 Williams published "The Little Book of Camden Passage" a photo book celebrating the people of a small London street. The book was accompanied by a solo exhibition supported by

NatWest National Westminster Bank, trading as NatWest, is a major Retail banking, retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the Corporate merger, merger of National Provincial Bank and We ...

and the Angel Islington Business Improvement District (BID).

Charity work

In 2008 he was invited to a reception by the Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown at

10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. Colloquially known as Number 10, the building is located in Downing Street, off Whitehall in th ...

in acknowledgement of his work for The Caron Keating Foundation. In 2010 he performed a benefit concert for Grimsby's 'Big Red Heart Appeal'.

Discography

* 2004: '' Alone Together'' * 2006: '' In the Lounge with Gary Williams'' * 2008: '' Swingin' on Broadway'' * 2010: '' Gary Williams Meets Frank Sinatra'' * 2011: '' Let There Be Love'' * 2013: '' Live in Brazil'' * 2015: '' Big Band Wonderland'' * 2017: '' At the Movies'' * 2018: '' Treasure Seeker'' * 2019: ''

Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, comic books, and theater * ''Legend'' (Gemmell novel), a 1 ...

'' * 2020: ''Wild About Wilder'' * 2020: ''95'' * 2020: ''On Days Like These'' * 2020: ''I'm Coming Home for Christmas (single)'' * 2021: ''Heroes and Villains (EP)'' * 2021: ''Stage and Screen (EP)'' * 2021: ''I'm Coming Home for Christmas (EP)''

References

External links

Official site

Official photography site

Article in ''The Stage''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Gary Living people English male singers English jazz singers Place of birth missing (living people) English broadcasters Easy listening musicians 1970 births 21st-century English singers 21st-century British male singers British male jazz musicians