Jerry Williams
Williams in 2012
Background information
Born	Erik Sven Fernström (1942-04-15)15 April 1942 Solna, Sweden
Died	25 March 2018(2018-03-25) (aged 75) Täby, Sweden
Years active	1962–2018
Musical career
Genres	Rock rockabilly
Instrument	Vocals
Labels	Sunglasses,Sonet, Eurodisc

Erik Sven Fernström (15 April 1942 – 25 March 2018), known by his stage nameJerry Williams, was a Swedish singer and actor. He began his career as the lead singer of The Violents, before launching a solo career.

Williams grew up in a working-class family inSolna. The family had a one-room apartment. Williams' mother, a nurse, died when he was only twelve years old. His father took care of him and his brother alone.^[1] He was very interested in sports, and as a youngster he played football,ice hockey and was engaged incycle sport. He was also a member of Narva BK, aboxing club.^[2]

In his youth, Williams worked as a plumber.^[1] He did hismandatory military service in 1966.^[3]

In 1962, Williams joinedThe Violents, a Swedish band that was formed in 1959 influenced by the English instrumental guitar groupThe Shadows. The band had a number of line-up changes. But when Williams joined in 1962, he became frontman and the lead singer of the band. In 1962, Williams and the Violents released a version of "Darling Nelly Grey" as a single, which became a major hit in Sweden.^[4]

WhenLittle Richard performed at theStar-Club in Hamburg in 1962, both Williams along with The Violents andThe Beatles were opening acts.^[3] When The Beatles toured Sweden in 1963, Williams and The Violents were the opening act.^[4] The Violents folded in 1966. A single was released on Laurie Records #3339 in 1965 "The Wanderer" b/w "Runaround Sue", both hits for Dion in the U.S. a few years before.

In the 1960s, Williams recorded a track with English record producerJoe Meek. The track was called "The Wonder Of Your Love". It was never released and was found amongst Meek's tapes when he died. It can be heard on YouTube.^{[citation needed]} Williams' music style was soul-influenced by the end of the 1960s, and the song "Keep On" became a hit in Sweden in 1969.^[5]

He returned torock and roll-based music in the early 1970s and performed with the band Roadwork until the early 1980s. During the 1970s, he also toured with the band The Telstars.^[5][6] In 1983, Williams made his debut as an actor in the filmG – som i gemenskap. He also acted in the musical "Cats.^[6]

In 1989, Williams released the song "Did I Tell You", which became his biggest hit, and the recordJW which led to him being discovered by a new generation. A music video was also filmed for "Did I Tell You".^[7] During this time, Williams also had the stage show act "Live på Börsen" atHamburger Börs in Stockholm.^[7] Williams followed it up with more shows such asLive 'n Jive at Hamburger Börs in 1999,Jerka atStora Teatern inGothenburg andGöta Lejon in Stockholm in 2002.^[8] As well as "Ringside" at Scalateatern in 2005, and Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg in 2006.^[8] In 1985, Williams was awarded a cultural awardSwedish Trade Union Confederation, and in 1991 he was pictured on a Swedish stamp.^[9] In theEurovision Song Contest of 1989, he was a part of the choir for the song "En dag" which was performed byTommy Nilsson representingSweden.^[10]

In 1986, he lost almost 2.9 million (SEK), reportedly as a result of mismanagement of funds by his financial advisor.^[11] Williams was a host forSommar i P1 onSveriges Radio on 5 August 2009.^[12] In 2010, an art project featuring his work was exhibited atGöteborgs Konsthall in Gothenburg. In 2009 and 2010 he had the showDynamite at Rondo in Gothenburg and Tyrol in Stockholm.^[13] He performed on the popular TV showAllsång på Skansen on several occasions.^[14]

On 17 January 2013, Williams premiered his farewell tourJerry – The Farewell Show atCirkus in Stockholm. Over 100,000 tickets were sold for the entire pan-Sweden tour for most of 2013.^[15]

Also in 2013, Williams co-operated with opera singerMalena Ernman on the latter's albumI decembertid. He sang "Counting Miracles", the opening track of the album as a duet with Ernman.^[16] The song charted atSvensktoppen, and placed as number one on 6 April 2014.^[16]

One of Williams' trademarks was the unique language and speech pattern he used throughout his life. It was a kind ofsociolect based on oldStockholm dialects and slang, mixed with words and expressions used bytouring musicians, notably smaller bands touring by bus. He also invented words,metaphors and expressions of his own; some of which would filter out and become part of the Swedish way of talking. Sometimes when he appeared on national TV, the broadcast company wouldsubtitle the program inStandard Swedish.^[3][17]

Williams was a lifelongcommunist.^[18] Off stage he led a very private life^[17] with his family, dogs andtraining. He was anAIK supporter.^[2]

Williams had been married since 1977, and had two daughters from that marriage.^[19] Before getting married he was a single father with a son. He lived inTäby at the time of his death.^[19] Williams died from cancer inTäby on 25 March 2018, aged 75.^[20]

• Williams J.; Rehnberg B. (1992).Jerry: självbiografin. Norstedt.ISBN 9119192126.

• Lahger, Håkan (2013).Jerry Williams: keep on : 1962-2013 (in Swedish). Stockholm: [Lyssna nu].ISBN 978-91-85569-44-1.SELIBR 14793717.

• Jerry Williams discography atDiscogs
• Jerry Williams atIMDb

• 1942 births
• 2018 deaths
• People from Solna Municipality
• Male actors from Stockholm County
• Musicians from Stockholm County
• Swedish communists
• Swedish rock singers
• 20th-century Swedish male singers
• 21st-century Swedish male singers
• Deaths from cancer in Sweden
• Sonet Records artists

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• Use dmy dates from January 2020
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• Articles with unsourced statements from March 2018
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