Internationally beloved singer Iris Williams has passed away at the age of 79.
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According to the BBC, the Welsh singer died on July 9. A cause of death was not given.
Williams, born in 1946 in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, enjoyed a remarkable career that took her across the globe, including the United States, where she resided at the time of her passing. While working at a glove factory in Llantrisant, she earned a scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, launching her successful career.
She performed for Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Albert Hall and for former President Gerald Ford multiple times.
Williams, the daughter of an American GI, spent her childhood in a children’s home and later with a foster family in Tonyrefail, her brother told the BBC. Her notable hits included “He Was Beautiful” and the Welsh-language rendition of “Amazing Grace,” “Pererin Wyf.”
In the 1960s, Williams made an appearance on the Welsh BBC pop music program Disc A Dawn. This opportunity paved the way for her to star in her very own BBC television show.
In 1974, she won the Welsh-language talent competition Cân i Gymru (A Song for Wales) with the song I gael Cymru’n Gymru Rydd (For a Free Wales). She also performed at the concert celebrating the opening of the National Assembly of Wales in 1999.
Iris Williams Remembered as “Vivacious and Elegant” by Peers
In 2004, she received an OBE in recognition of her outstanding contributions to music. Two years later, in 2006, she was inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod, celebrating her achievements and cultural impact.
Per the BBC, the St David’s Society of the State of New York announced on social media that Williams had “joined the heavenly chorus where her joyful singing will surely bring those joys beyond measure which we have been honoured to share.”
“New York held a special place in her life, and it was here that she gave birth to her only child, Blake,” the statement added.
Opera singer Beverley Humphreys said the “distinctive voice” will always be linked to the song “He Was Beautiful.”
“Iris had her own unique jazz style – vivacious and elegant – with a twinkle in her eye, she had a way of inhabiting each song she sang. Iris was a storyteller whose voice could set your feet tapping or touch your heart.”