Aaron Williams is an American

ventriloquist Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...

Biography

Early life

Williams was born in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, and came to live in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, at a young age. His mother died in 1941 and he went to live with his aunt, in Dayton's Hunk Town. In 5th grade, at Edison School, Williams was allowed to assist a magician who performed for the students. He was immediately fascinated. A teacher noticed he was good with his hands and showed him a

Charlie McCarthy Charlie McCarthy was a dummy partner of American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. Charlie was part of Bergen's act as early as high school, and by 1930 was attired in a top hat, tuxedo and monocle. The character was so well known that his popularity ex ...

dummy doll. After graduation in 1951, William worked at SWS Chevrolet parking cars and then was hired at

Wright Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wr ...

. In the meantime, Williams continued to refine the art of projecting his voice. A fellow worker told him about a dummy that was for sale and Williams scraped up enough money to purchase the head, constructed the body himself, integrated it with a can of brown paint, and thus was born "Freddie". After putting together a routine and perfecting his technique, they began to work the local club circuit. Aaron Williams has a growing family that includes two daughters Mona Williams of Dayton, Ohio, Monique Townes & husband Bernie of Long Island, New York, and her twin sons Michael Wallace & wife Amanda of Bowie, Maryland, and Dean Wallace & wife Raequel of Silver Spring, Maryland and their daughter Sophia.

Career

His first break came when he was noticed by the publicist for '' The Smothers Brothers Show'' which led to him becoming a regular feature on their television show at CBS. On October 6, 1968, Williams appeared on a Smothers Brothers Show which featured an appearance by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. In February 1968, he guest starred on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

'' with

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

as guest host. Others that night were

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, and

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. On returning to Los Angeles, he appeared on the '' Pat Boone Show'' along with

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. Williams has performed with

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, Vicki Carr,

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. Williams has performed all around the world. In 1967, Williams joined the

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...

. He attained the rank of Sergeant and became a sought-after personality along with his deputy, Freddie. The team spread the anti-drug and anti-gang messages in person and on television throughout the schools in all of Los Angeles County. Williams has most recently come out of retirement and plays venues throughout Los Angeles County and the United States.

External links

TV.com The Mike Douglas Show

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Show

Aaron Williams Official Website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Aaron Ventriloquists Living people Entertainers from Atlanta Year of birth missing (living people)