Kevin's Celeb Pics

The "Pianist to the Presidents" and the author of the only piano instrumental to hit number one ("Autumn Leaves" in 1955) on the Billboard charts, Roger Williams, died yesterday in California after a battle with cancer.

I met Williams during a break at one of his famous 12-hour marathon piano playing sessions at a Las Vegas hotel in November 2006. He stopped for this photo prior to soaking his hands in buckets of ice following the afternoon session. Williams returned about 20 minutes later to continue playing and taking requests from the modest crowd watching the event.