Maurice Williams, lead singer of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs and songwriter of the 1960 hit “Keep,” died Aug. 6, based on an announcement from the North Carolina Music Corridor of Fame. He’s 86 years outdated.
Williams was born in Lancaster, South Carolina, on April 26, 1938, and was a distinguished determine within the American Douwop music scene within the second half of the twentieth century. He began his musical journey early, forming his first band “Royal Charms” whereas in highschool. The group ultimately turned Maurice Williams and the Zodiac.
Williams is greatest recognized for the 1960 hit “Keep,” which he initially wrote as a teen and carried out with The Zodiacs. The music turned an on the spot traditional, reaching primary on the Billboard Sizzling 100.
The music’s enduring enchantment has led to its inclusion in movies corresponding to “Soiled Dancing.” The Hollies and the 4 Seasons lined the music early on and it stays a favourite – most notably Jackson Browne carried out it stay on his 1977 Working On Empty album music. Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and others additionally carried out “Keep” on the 1979 No Nukes live performance at Madison Sq. Backyard.
“It took me about thirty minutes to jot down ‘Keep,’ after which I simply threw it away,” he later instructed ClassicsBands.com. “We had been in search of songs to report as Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs. I used to be at my girlfriend’s home enjoying a tape of a music I might written, and her sister stated, ‘Please sing this music on a excessive be aware.’ ” I knew she meant “keep.” She was about 12, and I stated to myself, “She’s sufficiently old to purchase information,” and the remainder is historical past. I thank God for her.
Following the music’s large success, Williams continued to tour and carry out, holding the spirit of doo-wop alive. Though he by no means replicated the large success of Keep, he stays a beloved determine within the style.
Within the mid-Nineteen Sixties, he settled in Charlotte, North Carolina, the place he was inducted into the state’s Corridor of Fame in 2010. Nonetheless, he typically returns to Lancaster to carry out at native occasions and mentor younger musicians.
Williams is survived by his spouse, Emily;
