Biography

Maurice Williams was born on April 26, 1938 in Lancaster, South Carolina, USA. He was a composer, known for Dirty Dancing (1987), American Graffiti (1973) and An American Pickle (2020). He was married to Emily. He died on August 5, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

His 1953 penned song "Stay" was recorded by the Zodiacs in 1959. At 1:36 it's the shortest recording ever to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Co-founded a gospel group the Junior Harmonizers with his childhood friend Earl Gainey. When rock & roll and doo wop became their primary they renamed the group the (Royal) Charms, who changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and then the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959.