Billy Williams

William Holt Williams (born Richard Isaac Banks; 3 March 1878 – 13 March 1915) was an Australian-born British vaudeville and music hall singer and entertainer. His best known song was "When Father Papered the Parlour".

Biography Born in Melbourne, the son of Richard Banks, an Irish-born draper,

He arrived in England in late 1899, and made his London debut the following March, as Will Williams. He started appearing in a velvet suit, usually blue in colour, which distinguished him from other performers and led to his description as "The Man in the Velvet Suit". He became a popular entertainer in the music halls singing what were known as chorus-songs. His best-known songs included "Let's All Go Mad", "John, John, Go and Put Your Trousers On", and "When Father Papered the Parlour". His song "Save a Little One for Me" was recorded as a Phonoscène. He also appeared in pantomime.

In 1910, he returned for an extended tour to his native Australia where he was greeted with wild enthusiasm. Returning to England later in that year, he continued his business relationship with songwriter Fred Godfrey. The two had, what might be described as a "song factory", and worked in partnership (although it is believed that Godfrey did all of the song writing). The year 1912 seemed to be the zenith of Williams' career – he appeared in the first Royal Command Performance of that year and achieved glowing reviews in the national press.

He became ill in late 1914, and died at the age of 37 at Shoreham-by-Sea near Brighton in March 1915, the proximate cause being septic prostatitis and consequent complications after an operation for that condition, but rumoured ultimately to be connected with "previous social excesses," an Edwardian euphemism for syphilis. He was buried in Mill Lane Cemetery, Shoreham-by-Sea. His headstone is in a family plot.

Personal life Williams married Amy Robinson in 1901; she survived her husband by some 61 years. They had four living children: Reginald, William, Margaret and Cathleen, who after his death, moved with Amy to Australia. He was the brother of Richard and Rowley Banks, two of Australia's earliest professional golfers, who were foundation members of the Australian Professional Golfers Association in 1911.