“Pianist to the Presidents” Roger Williams has died. He was 87. Performing at the White House since the days of the Truman Presidency, Williams was a dear friend to the Nixon Family and the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Williams first performed for President Nixon at the Nixon Library’s grand opening in 1990, when he generously gave the Foundation the Steinway piano that is still used by performers in the Sunday Family Concert Series each week in the East Room.
In November 2002, he performed a thirteen hour marathon in Yorba Linda, during his national marathon tour of Presidential Libraries. And in July 2010, he returned to celebrate the Library’s 20th Anniversary, performing at a luncheon in honor of First Lady Pat Nixon.
Photo: Roger Williams performs at a luncheon in honor of First Lady Pat Nixon as part of the Nixon Library’s 20th Anniversary events in July 2010.