Surprise resident Jonathan Williams was living in the U.K. when a friend challenged him to sing a song at karaoke one night.
The song his friend chose, Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” was not easy for a man with a deep voice.
“I did it as a joke because at that point, I wasn’t even into singing,” Williams recalled.
A woman in the crowd who was part of a theater group that produced shows and concerts noticed Williams’ voice.
“She came up to me and said ‘I didn’t know you could sing,’ Williams said. “And I said, ‘Nor did I.’”
The woman asked Williams to join her group — and a new career was born.
“This just took over my life,” Williams said. “You know the saying, ‘Don’t ever put your eggs all in one basket?’ Well, I did.”
Williams, 48, is a worldwide entertainer who just happens to live in the northwest Surprise area. He is a former London West End and Broadway performer whose tenor voice landed him roles in “Les Miserables.”
He has also staged a Las Vegas stage show with a rock band. He entertains crowds on cruise ships and now produces his rock shows for local fans at The Grand and other spots around the region.
The local shows include performances of his solo production “The Jonathan Williams Show,” and he tours around the area with his rock band “Rebel: A Classic Rock Experience,” the same band who had the Vegas show.
“Rebel” will be performing in Mesa this month as Williams takes a break from back-to-back cruises where he entertained crowds with his multi-genre singing style on the high seas.
Williams, a native of Wales, saw his career take off in 2003 when he decided to attend an open addition for “Les Miserables” in London. He surprised himself by getting the job, even though he was just part of the ensemble cast.
After playing most of the male roles at some point leading up to 2011, Williams ultimately earned the lead role of Jean Valjean at a time where he met his wife, Kelly, a former actress who is his manager these days.
“He was an extraordinary talent that came in,” said Kelly, who was also part of the cast at the time. “So, we were just like, ‘Wow, where did this guy come from? He’s insane.”
In 2005, Williams was invited by Cameron McIntosh to be part of the 25th anniversary concert for “Les Miserables,” and he also performed in front of Queen Elizabeth.
The anniversary show, which included notable acts such as Nick Jonas, was notable for Williams as he was the first person to sing in the show.
The couple lived for a bit just outside London in Kent and had a son while Williams was busy putting together his rock group that would eventually move to Vegas.
But before the jump to the states, the “Tenors of Rock,” as it was then called, competed on “Britain’s Got Talent” and “X Factor,” which is “American Idol”-type show.
The show featuried classic rock music from bands such as Queen, Eagles, Bon Jovi and AC/DC.
After fairing well in the competitions, the notoriety the band gained from the TV spots created demand for big tours in the U.S. and across Europe and Asia. The band even traveled to the Philippines to help open up Newport World Resorts, which was formerly the Resorts World Manila.
The shows were elaborate, featuring all the bells and whistles of high-tech tours of today. It included pyrotechnics and scaffolding and became a huge international hit.
After friends in Vegas saw video footage of the band, they offered it a job for a Vegas residency, leading Williams to live in the U.S. for the first time.
During its five-year run, it won “Best New Show In Las Vegas” in the Best of Las Vegas contest and remained a top 10 show on Tripadvisor.
When Williams decided he had enough of doing the Vegas show, the family moved to Arizona and he renamed his rock show “Rebel: A Classic Rock Experience.”
In addition to the international performances he still stages, he now lets local fans see the show at venues such as The Grand and The Sundial in Sun City.
In the shows, Williams sings as many different genres of music as he can in 90 minutes. Among them, fans will hear rock, Broadway tunes, soul, uptempo pop and even a little opera.
“I try and hit as many different avenues, but make it entertaining or funny along the way,” Williams said about his show. “I’ve got stories in it as well.”
Williams credits his parents for giving him an eclectic taste in singing selections.
He remembers his piano-playing dad exposing him to obscure German music and other strange songs.
“It was all fantastic,” Williams said. “I loved hearing it.”
His other, on the other hand, was more into the pop music of the 1960s and rock of the ’70s.
“She was a bit of a hippie,” Williams said. “They were like chalk and cheese when it came to music. “
Williams is not planning to give up the traveling shows anytime soon. He is already booked up on cruise ships and other venues all the way through 2027. He said the 2028 calendar will start filling up soon.
Closer to home, Williams has already been selected to sing the national anthem before the March 16 spring training game between the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.
The Feb. 24 show in Mesa is happening at the Monte Vista Resort, 8865 E. Baseline Road. It begins at 7 p.m.
The couple plans to continue living in Arizona and are working on security permanent green cards.
“We are hoping that we can call this our home forever,” Kelly Williams said.
Jason Stone can be reached at [email protected]. Submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to [email protected]. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Jason Stone
Senior News Editor | Surprise
Meet Jason
Jason Stone joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2019, after a distinguished three decade media career that included stops at the Arizona Republic, iHeart Media/Clear Channel and Beckett Sports Card magazine. He remembers when airports sold newspapers.
Community: He is a big supporter of the Valley’s original sports team: The Phoenix Suns.
Education: Northern Arizona University with a BS in broadcast journalism and a minor in sports coaching.
Random Fact: The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln.
Hobbies: Surfing, backgammon and men who aren’t afraid to cry.
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