RON WILLIAMS – Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Entertainer

Ron Williams, born in Oakland, California, USA. He graduated from Oakland Technical Highschool, turning down a scholarship to study law at Dartmouth University, he joined the Army. After training as a Military Policeman he served in Virginia. Transferred to Germany
he was stationed in Stuttgart where he retrained as an Information Specialist  (print-journalist) and as a radio announcer for the Armed Forces Network, AFN. After serving three years he was discharged. He remained in Germany, planning to travel and see more of Europe, before returning home.

Learning the language quickly, even a German dialect or two(!), he took on various jobs:
A sales-driver for Coca-Cola, a private chauffeur, and as a butler, learning more about Germany and its culture.
His first introduction to German show-business was as a solist with the SDR-Radio Bigband and the Horst Jankowsky Jazz-Chorus in Stuttgart which made him change his mind about returning home. Then followed a  FIRST  in Germany. He joined the ranks of German satirical performers, being the only American to ever do so, performing two seasons as a member of the ensemble of  Stuttgart`s “Kleines Renitenztheater”. His impersonations of legendary German politician and Chancellor Willy Brandt, or Stuttgart`s famous long-time Lord-Mayor Ernst Klett (in the Schwabian dialect!) are unforgettable, making his mark as an impersonator for the first time before German audiences.

Moving from Satire to numerous stage, tv- and film roles, he`s since become a recognizable face and voice throughout German speaking Europe: For 7 years as the TV-Host for the music-magazine “Musik-Szene” (ARD/WDR/ORF) and as Host and Anchor for the monthly English language TV-magazine “Focus on Europe” which was broadcast worldwide by Deutsche Welle / PBS USA for 7 years. Unforgettable being the satirical “voice” of  President Ronald Reagan in numerous TV- Radio-shows and stage-performances; and on his own Saturday Night TV-Show “Ronabend” (ARD/WDR). He`s had over 800 television appearances.
He`s also the dubbing-voice for cartoon characters like “Sebastian the Crab” in Disney`s  “Arielle the Mermaid”, as “Francisco Flaminco” in the National Geographic`s “GEO KIDS”, as “Howie the Bear” on  the CD-Rom “Tuneland”. “Oogie Boogie” in Tim Burtons “Nightmare before Christmas” is just one of his many dubbing roles.

As a singer-entertainer with over 30 years of performances he`s gained a large audience of admirers young and old, singing the Blues and R & B with different bands, or Swing with Big-Bands. He continues to win new fans doing galas, concerts, club- and festival gigs.
In 2002 he discovered as he puts it “the role of my life” – Dr. Martin Luther King jr.
As a young soldier at the Provost Marshal School in Fort Gordon, Georgia he trained to be a military policeman. There and later while on duty in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, he personally experienced the ugly effects of racism in and out of uniform.
“In the early sixties, we young blacks, especially being from liberal California, had to hold back a lot of anger, while in the deep south. I initially saw Malcolm X, the radical Black Muslim leader as a hero, advocating the use of force if necessary as means to an end.  
Only later did I recognize, understand and accept Dr. Martin Luther King jr.`s philosophy – that a change in America`s racial policies can only succeed through the path of non violence.”
In the prize winning stage-play “I Have A Dream – The Martin-Luther-King Story” by German playright Gerold Theobalt, he was critically acclaimed  portraying King  in over 300 performances from 2002 until 2005 in theatres throughout German speaking Europe.

 

In 2005 playing the title role in the very successful stage production of  the Ray Charles Story – “Play it Again Ray !” he again found a dream role cementing his reputation as an exceptional singer/performer.
2007/08/09 he continues to excite audiences as “Ray” on tour in five European countries.

In February 2007 the Musical Story “Martin Luther King - The KING OF LOVE” had its world premiere in the famous Berlin landmark the Gedächtniskirche. “KING OF LOVE” is Ron Williams` personal tribute to Dr. King. Writing the libretto and lyrics and playing the lead role, he bows deeply to this icon of the American civil rights movement.

Directed by Italian director Fernando Scarpa and with a cast of  23 actors, singers and dancers “KING OF LOVE” shows us that King’s dream of peaceful coexistence between different races, cultures and religions will only be possible when love, mutual respect, reason and tolerance are the principals for our actions, whether political or personal.
A critical success, it played for four weeks in Berlin and is scheduled to continue 2008/09.

January 2009 Ron Williams on Tour in Germany, Austria, Switzerland in the title role in the stage play by Gerold Theobald “Endlich frei – Die Nelson Mandela Story” (“Free At Last”)

When time allows, he visits German high schools with his “Tour for Tolerance”. A two-hour “face to face confrontation” where he discusses with pupils on the topics: Neo-nazism, school-violence, intolerance and Xinophobia. Starting in 2001 until today, he`s visted over  100 schools all over Germany.

In 2004 Ron Williams received Germany`s highest civilian honor, the Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdientkreuz am Bande) from the German President Dr. Horst Köhler for his commitment in the struggle against racism and Xinophobia.
The politically committed Ron Williams serves as patron for several projects and organisations:

2000: Patronage for the “Kinderkulturkarawane”, a project that together with UNICEF, brings third world-children every year to Germany where they build bridges of intercultural understanding with their talent and performances (www.y.kultur-und-medien.com)
2006: Patronage for “Stiftung Leben ohne Rassismus” (Life without Racism Foundation) (www.NRWgegenDiskriminierung.de)
2007: Patronage for “Netzwerk für Demokratie”  (www.netzwerk.vhs-sonneberg.de)
2008: Patronage for  the „Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium Frankenthal“