Sugarland Announces Free Show
Country duo Sugarland will return to Indiana for a free concert to honor those lost in the Aug. 13 Indiana State Fair accident, according to the band’s website. Seven people lost their lives at the fair when a gust of wind blew over the stage rigging just before Sugarland was set to perform.
The free show will be on Oct. 28, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and will feature Sugarland’s full band plus special guests (to be announced). The show will be the final stop of their 2011 Incredible Machine Tour, and free tickets will be available to the public starting Oct. 15.
People who purchased tickets to the original August show will have first choice of seating starting Oct. 10, and fans with “Sugarpit” (near the stage) seats will still have that option. Contributions to the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund will be accepted throughout the night.
‘Pianist to the Presidents’ Passes
Renowned pianist Roger Williams passed away Saturday, Oct. 8, of complications from pancreatic cancer, according to the Washington Post. He was 87.
For four weeks in 1955, Williams topped the Billboard charts with his rendition of “Autumn Leaves,” the only piano instrumental to ever reach No. 1. He followed up with a string of hits including “Born Free,” “Lara’s Theme,” and “The Impossible Dream,” and went on to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Playing everything from jazz to classical, he became a favorite of the White House, playing for every president from Harry Truman to George H.W. Bush, earning him the nickname ‘Pianist to the Presidents.” His last performance at the People’s House was a luncheon in 2008 for former First Lady Laura Bush.
Williams is survived by his daughters, Laura Fisher and Alice Jung, and five grandchildren.
