Iris Williams
Iris Williams is a Welsh singer whose big hits were Pererin Wyf and He Was Beautiful. She continued to have many recordings, TV series, guest appearances, and Royal Command performances for HM The Queen, the late Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, the late Queen mother and Prince Charles. Williams also did much charity work and received an OBE for her services to both music and charity.
1944
Wales
Mother was Welsh, father was African American
1974- Had success in Wales with Pererin Wyf
1979- Had her biggest hit He Was Beautiful
1991-Performed in cabaret at the prestigious Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel in New York City
1990- She was one of the stars of the gala concert to celebrate the opening of the National Assembly of Wales.
2004- Received an OBE for her services to music and charity
2006- Admitted to the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Williams was born in Rhydyfelin as a result of an affair her mother had with an American soldier, and at an early age she was put into care. Williams’ biological mother already had two children before she was born. She lived in a children’s home for a while and then was adopted by Bronwen Llewellyn. Her adoptive mother introduced her to music and encouraged her singing from an early age. It was clear Williams had great talent and at the age of seven she won her first talent contest with a prize of £7 which, she claims, got her hooked. She received coaching from music teacher Iris Llewellyn for her scholarship to train at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, which she won at the age of 18.
1971 – She landed major success with Pererin Wyf a Welshlanguage version of Amazing Grace
1974 – She won the Welsh talent contest Can i Gymru (A Song for Wales) singing the song I gael Cymru’n Gymru Rydd (For a Free Wales).
1979 – Williams had her biggest hit He Was Beautiful. This song was based on the well -known theme tune from The Deer Hunter. The lyrics were created by Cleo Laine, a close friend of Williams. She had done a session with the Birmingham BBC radio orchestra and chose five songs from the BBC’s music library in her voice range, one of which was this song. After the songs were aired on David Jacobs’ radio programme, many listeners fell in love with her version, one of whom was the record producer Wally Ridley. He made a professional recording of the song with Williams and it was played on Radio 2 a few weeks later, on the Jimmy Young Show. It was then aired by several others, like Terry Wogan and Williams claims that this was the beginning of her wonderful career.
1988 – 1996 – After first meeting Bob Hope in President Ford’s Golf Celebrity Royal charity performance, Williams worked with him for the following years. She would work with him every summer at President Ford’s Celebrity golf tournament in Vail, Colorado.
Williams also worked with Rosemary Clooney. She first met her at her benefit concert in California in memory of her sister. She sang here after being invited by Mary Ellyn Devery, an American manager. Rosemary became a mentor and a friend of Williams.
1991 – Williams performed in cabaret at the prestigious Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel in New York City.
1990 – Williams was one of the stars of the gala concert to celebrate the opening of the National Assembly of Wales.
2006 – She performed at the Brecon Jazz Festival, and was later admitted to the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Williams worked with many stars like Tony Bennett, Des O ‘Conner, Jimmy Tarbuck, Ted Rogers, Sir Harry Secombe and the Cannon and Ball duo.
Williams married Clive Pyatt in 1982 and had their son Blake in 1984. She now resides in Rancho Mirage, California.
To watch Iris Williams perform and be interviewed watch from 30:41 – 42:15 🡪 https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/kelly-barbara-windsor-iris-williams-jimmy-4131
Colin Larkin, The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Popular Music: Threepenny Opera- Z.Z Top (Ireland: Guinness Pub, 1995)
All Music, ‘Iris Williams Biography’, Artist Biography by AllMusic (All Music, revised 1994) [accessed 17 February 2022]
Ceri Shaw, ‘Interview With Welsh Singer Iris Williams – Appearing At NAFOW Scranton 2012’, AmeriCymraeg (AmeriCymraeg, revised 2012) [accessed 17 February 2022]
