Sebastian Williams

about

Sebastian Williams Roger Williams was born in Norfolk, VA and started singing with a group called the Quarter Notes whose wild R & B rocker “Punkanilla”, flipped with the novelty semi-instrumental “The Interview” came out on RCA via their manager Sherriff Tex Davis in 1958. Over time the group became the House Rockers and Williams got the name Sebastian from a promoter at a gig one night. They were a big draw in the Eastern part of the state and they came to the attention of Fred Weiss in Richmond who took them to Washington, DC for their first recording session. While the upbeat dance craze “Nobody Can Do The Dog Like I Do” has it’s admirers – and to be fair it’s energy is infectious – the other side is a real peach. ListenThe Best Man Cryed has elements of doo wop in the structure and chord changes but Williams is all soul, tough and tender, while the band’s sound is reminiscent of Cookie’s Cupcakes with that twin sax lead. The studio owner Ted Pedas put the tracks out on his own Colt 45 label after the original Key single was issued. Williams made several further 45, with or without the House Rockers, and a good few of them are really fine southern soul, but sadly he never made another ballad to match “Cryed”. The first of the releases was for that excellent Richmond man of music Mr Wiggles (August Moon), which certainly did feature the Rockers. The slinky “Too Much” features another fine gruff Williams vocal, and the sentiments of “Home Town Boy” is vaguely similar to

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