Margaret Ross Williams

Margaret Ross Williams moved to Coney Island in the mid-1950s. As a teenager she became a singer in the girl group, The Cookies, along with Earl-Jean McCrea and Dorothy Jones. The Cookies were Brill Building regulars and the girls recorded songs by Neil Sedaka, as well as songwriting team Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Their first hit single was “Chains,” a song that the Beatles later recorded for their 1963 debut album, Please Please Me. After several years touring with the Cookies, she moved back to Coney Island with her family and continued singing professionally and in the choir at the Coney Island Gospel Assembly Church on Neptune Avenue. She passed away on January 23, 2026 at the age of 83.

In this 2004 interview Margaret shares stories about growing up in Coney Island, performing with The Cookies, and her experiences at the schools, churches, and rides of Coney Island. Margaret was also a friend of the Coney Island History Project and cut the ribbon to open our Boardwalk Memory Booth in 2005.