Henry Anthony Williams (28 May 1939 – 1 October 2016), known professionally as Toni Williams or Antoni Williams, was a Cook Island-born New Zealand pop singer, who began singing at the Gandhi Hall in Auckland City where he became a local sensation.

Background

Born Henry Anthony WilliamsRockhappen
''Toni Williams MNZM''
/ref> on 28 May 1939, in Parekura in the

Avarua Avarua (meaning "Two Harbours" in Cook Islands Māori) is a town and district in the north of the island of Rarotonga, and is the national Capital city, capital of the Cook Islands. The town is served by Rarotonga International Airport (IATA ...

District of

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. The Parliament of the Cook Islands, Coo ...

, he was the son of a doctor. Owing to his father's being employed by the New Zealand government, Williams' childhood was taken up by moving between Rarotonga and the outer Cook Islands. He moved to

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

in 1950 at the age of 11 for schooling. As a youngster he injured himself playing football. With a hip condition as a result, he stayed at the Wilson Home for Crippled Children for a period of time.

Career

Williams cited his interest in the guitar and singing as coming from spending 13 months in hospital as a result of a football accident. Not long after his hospitalisation, Williams formed the Housewarmers, which was a little group that performed at small family events. Two years later, the band by Williams' direction became Toni Williams and The Tremellos. After that things started happening, and he toured New Zealand under the promoter Harry M. Miller. In 1960 his single, "Cradle Of Love" bw "Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes" was released on the La Gloria label. Also that same year, " Let the Little Girl Dance" bw "In A Mansion Stands My Love", and "Endlessly"/"Is A Bluebird Blue" were released by La Gloria.45ca
Toni Williams discography
45cat.com; accessed October 3, 2016. Williams toured with the Howard Morrison Quartet, and in 1965 he married the Miss Canterbury beauty pageant winner. In 1972, his single "Tellabout" (composed by

Tony McCarthy Anthony Paul McCarthy (born 9 November 1969) is an Irish retired footballer who is the physiotherapist at Shamrock Rovers. Career Tony started his League of Ireland career with University College Dublin in 1987. During his last season at Belfi ...

), was an

APRA Silver Scroll The APRA Music Awards are several annual and two-yearly award ceremonies run in New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills of its members. APRA hold the annual Silver Scroll Awards and song awards, ...

-nominated song. In the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours, Williams was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

for services to entertainment

Death

Williams died in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

on 1 October 2016, aged 77.

Singles

References

External links

* * 1939 births 2016 deaths People from Rarotonga Cook Island emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand pop singers Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit {{NewZealand-singer-stub