Who Was Maurice Williams? Stay Singer And Frontman Of The Zodiacs Passes Away At 86

Maurice Williams, the legendary doo-wop singer and songwriter who created the timeless hit Stay, died at the age of 86. As the frontman of Zodiacs, Williams left an indelible mark in music history.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Aug 19, 2024 | 12:08 PM IST | 25.2K

Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs (via Getty Images)

Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual's death.

Maurice Williams, the singer and songwriter behind the 1960 hit ballad Stay and frontman of the doo-wop group the Zodiacs, died at the age of 86. The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame announced his passing on August 6, 2024.

A former bandmate, Ron Henderson, confirmed Williams' death in a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. The cause of death was not disclosed, as per Entertainment Weekly.

Maurice Williams was born on April 26, 1938, in Lancaster, South Carolina, and grew up with a strong passion for music. He began performing in church at the age of six, honing his vocal abilities.

By high school, Williams had formed his first group, the Royal Charms. This group, which would later become the Zodiacs, went through several name changes and lineup changes before establishing themselves in the music industry.

The group's first taste of success came in 1957 with the song Little Darlin', written and recorded by Williams as a teenager. This early hit launched a promising career in the doo-wop genre.

Three years after their initial success, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs left an indelible mark on music history with the release of Stay. The song, which Williams wrote about a high school romance, became a long-lasting success. Stay topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the shortest song ever to do so, clocking in at one minute and 32 seconds.

Stay was inspired by a personal experience. In a 2018 interview, Williams explained that the lyrics were inspired by a conversation with his then-girlfriend. "This young lady I was going with, she was over to my house, and this particular night, her brother was supposed to pick her up at 10," Williams said. He added, "So he came, and I said, 'Well, you can stay a little longer.' And she said, 'No, I gotta go.'"

The following morning, Williams decided to turn this conversation into a song. He recorded the demo in about 30 minutes and included it in a list of potential tracks for the group to record. The song didn't stand out until a friend's younger sister mentioned it.

Williams recalled that he was at his girlfriend's house, playing songs he had written and her little sister asked him to do the song with the high voice in it. The late singer said that he understood she was talking about Stay. He said, "She was about 12 years old, and I said to myself, 'She's the age of record-buying.' And the rest is history… I thank God for her."

Stay gained popularity after it was featured in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. The movie's soundtrack, which included Stay, sold 32 million copies worldwide, introducing the song to a new generation of fans.

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