Andy Williams
Andy Williams | |
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Formerly of | The Williams Brothers |
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Website | andywilliams |
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified
Williams was active in the music industry for over 70 years until his death in September 2012 from bladder cancer, at the age of 84.
Early life and education
Williams was born in
Career
1938–1952: Early career
Williams had three older brothers—Bob, Don, and
in Cincinnati.Moving to Los Angeles in 1943, the Williams Brothers sang with Bing Crosby on his 1944 hit record "Swinging on a Star". They appeared in four musical films: Janie (1944), Kansas City Kitty (1944), Something in the Wind (1947), and Ladies' Man (1947).
A persistent myth alleges that as a teenager, the future singing star dubbed the singing for Lauren Bacall's character in the 1944 feature film To Have and Have Not. According to authoritative sources, including Howard Hawks and Bacall herself, this was not true. Williams and some female singers were tested to dub for Bacall because of fears that she lacked the necessary vocal skills, but those fears were overshadowed by the desire to have Bacall do her own singing despite her imperfect vocal talent.[10]
The Williams Brothers were signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) to appear in Anchors Aweigh and Ziegfeld Follies (1945), but before they went before the cameras, the oldest brother, Bob, was drafted into military service and the group's contract was cancelled. Kay Thompson, a former radio star who was now head of the vocal department at MGM, had a nose for talent and hired the remaining three Williams brothers to sing in her large choir on many soundtracks for MGM films, including The Harvey Girls (1946). When Bob completed his military service, Kay hired all four brothers to sing on the soundtrack to Good News (1947).
By then, Thompson was tired of working behind the scenes at MGM, so with the four Williams boys as her backup singers and dancers, she formed a nightclub act, Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers. They made their debut in Las Vegas in 1947 and became an overnight sensation. Within a year, they were the highest-paid nightclub act in the world, breaking records wherever they appeared.
Williams revealed in his memoir Moon River and Me that Thompson and he became romantically involved while on tour despite the age difference (he was 19 and she was 38). The act broke up in 1949, but reunited for another hugely successful tour from the fall of 1951 through the summer of 1953. After that, the four brothers went their separate ways. A complete itinerary of both tours is listed on the Kay Thompson biography website.[11]
Williams and Thompson, however, remained very close, both personally and professionally. She mentored his emergence as a solo singing star. She coached him, wrote his arrangements, and composed many songs that he recorded, including his 1958 top-20 hit "Promise Me, Love", and later, "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" on his 1964 number-one The Andy Williams Christmas Album. Using her contacts in the business, Thompson helped Williams land his breakthrough television gig as a featured singer for two and a half years on Tonight Starring Steve Allen; it helped that the producer of the series, Bill Harbach, was Kay's former aide-de-camp. Thompson also got Williams his breakthrough recording contract with Cadence Records, whose owner, Archie Bleyer, had gotten early career breaks because of Kay and owed her a favor. Meanwhile, Williams sang backup on many of Thompson's recordings through the 1950s, including her top-40 hit "Eloise", based on her bestselling books about the mischievous little girl who lives at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
Thompson also served as a creative consultant and vocal arranger on Williams's three summer-replacement network television series in 1957, 1958, and 1959. In the summer of 1961, Thompson traveled with Williams and coached him throughout his starring role in a summer-stock tour of the musical Pal Joey. Their personal and professional relationship finally ended in 1962, after Williams met and married Claudine Longet, and Thompson moved to Rome.
1953–1961: Cadence years
Williams's solo career began in 1953.
After landing a spot as a regular on the Tonight Starring Steve Allen in 1954,
1962–1980: The Columbia years
On December 15, 1961, Williams married Claudine Longet and signed with Columbia Records. His first album with Columbia, Danny Boy and Other Songs I Love to Sing, was a chart success, peaking at number 19. He was then asked to sing "Moon River", the theme from Breakfast at Tiffany's, at the 1962 Academy Awards, where it won Best Original Song.[13] Archie Bleyer at Cadence had previously told Williams that "Moon River" would not be a hit,[14] but the Columbia producers encouraged Williams to record the song along with 11 other movie themes for an album. After Williams performed the song at the awards show, it became a hit. Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes then sold across the country, garnering critical acclaim and propelling Williams into stardom. The album remained on the charts for the next three years and peaked at number three. In 1963, Williams's producer, Robert Mersey, encouraged him to record "Can't Get Used to Losing You" as the B-side to "Days of Wine and Roses". Williams initially did not like the pop song, preferring the Mancini tune, but "Can't Get Used to Losing You" reached number two in the US and UK.[15] The album containing both songs, Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests, topped the album charts at number one for 16 weeks.
From 1962 to 1972, Williams was one of the most popular vocalists in the country and was signed to what was at that time the biggest recording contract in history.[16] He was primarily an album artist, and at one time, he had recorded more gold albums than any solo performer except Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, and Elvis Presley. By 1973, he had earned as many as 17 gold-album awards. Among his hit albums from this period were The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Dear Heart, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love, Andy, Happy Heart, Get Together with Andy Williams, Love Story, and Love Theme from the Godfather. These recordings, along with his natural affinity for the music of the 1960s and early 1970s, combined to make him one of the premier easy-listening singers of that era.
In the UK, Williams continued to reach high chart status until 1978. The albums Dear Heart (1965), Love Andy (1967), Can't Help Falling in Love (1970), Andy Williams Show (1970), Home Lovin' Man (number one, 1971), Solitaire (1973), The Way We Were (1974), and Reflections (1978) all reached the top 10.
Williams forged an indirect collaborative relationship with Henry Mancini, although they never recorded together. Both "Moon River" and "Days of Wine and Roses" were written by Mancini, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Williams sang Mancini's "Dear Heart" at the 1965 Academy Awards and "The Sweetheart Tree" (also written with Mercer) at the 1966 Awards.
On August 5, 1966, the 14-story, 700-room
On September 17, 1968, Columbia released a single of two songs Williams sang at the funeral of his close friend
Williams also competed in the teen-oriented singles market and had several charting hits, including "
" (1970), and "Solitaire" (1973).Williams and
1962–1971: The Andy Williams Show
Building on his experience with Allen and some short-term variety shows in the 1950s, he became the star of his own weekly television variety show in the fall of 1962. Though cancelled after 1963 owing to low ratings, the show was then sponsored to make 12 weekly specials in the 1963–64 season. This series, The Andy Williams Show, won three Emmy Awards for outstanding variety program. Among his series regulars were the Osmond Brothers. He gave up the variety show in 1971 while it was still popular, continuing with three specials per year. His Christmas specials, which appeared regularly until 1974 and intermittently from 1982 into the 1990s, were among the most popular of the genre.[17] Williams recorded eight Christmas albums over the years, and was known as "Mr. Christmas",[17] due to his perennial Christmas specials and the success of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year".
Williams hosted the most
In the early 1970s, when the
Williams performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl VII in January 1973, held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[19][20]
1991–2012: At Moon River Theatre
In June 1991, Williams' brother Don invited him to the small
The theater was designed to blend with the rough terrain of the
The theater's auditorium can accommodate 2,054 people. The seats and carpets match Williams'
When it first opened, it was unique because his was the first noncountry act to open in the then mostly country-music town. Other noncountry entertainers, such as Bobby Vinton, Tony Orlando, Wayne Newton, and the Osmond Brothers soon followed.[25]
Williams and his theater were featured on three episodes of the soap opera
In 2007, Williams opened the Moon River Grill adjacent to his theater in Branson. The restaurant is decorated in photos from the Andy Williams Show with stars including Diana Ross, Elton John, and Sammy Davis Jr. Art is center stage in the restaurant, with works by several artists including Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana.[26]
In 1995, We Need a Little Christmas became Williams's 18th gold album.
His 1967 recording of "Music to Watch Girls By" became a UK hit to a new young television audience in 1999, when it reached number 9 after being featured in new television advertisements for the Fiat Punto—and later for Diet Pepsi—beating the original peak of number 33 in 1967. A new generation was reminded of Williams' recordings and a sell-out UK tour followed the success of the single, prompting a British revival for Williams. In 2002, he re-recorded "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" as a duet with British actress and singer Denise van Outen; it reached number 23 in the UK singles charts. He completed a sold-out tour of the United Kingdom and Asia in the winter and summer of 2007, in which he performed at several major concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall.
Williams returned to the UK singles charts with his 1963 recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" in December 2007, due to an advertisement for Marks & Spencer, reaching number 21 in its first appearance in the British charts. In 2008, he lip-synched the 45-year-old recording to welcome Santa at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[citation needed]
On October 3, 2009, Williams appeared live on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing[27] in London, singing "Moon River" to promote the UK edition of The Very Best of Andy Williams LP, which peaked at number 10 in the main pop chart.
Business ventures
In 1964, Williams ultimately became the owner of the Cadence master tapes, which he occasionally licensed to Columbia, including not only his own recordings, but also those of his fellow Cadence-era labelmates: the Everly Brothers, Lenny Welch, the Chordettes, Link Wray, and Johnny Tillotson. In 1968, although he was still under contract with Columbia for his own recordings, Williams formed a separate company called Barnaby Records to handle reissuing of the Cadence materials, especially those of the Everly Brothers (one of the first Barnaby LPs was a double LP set of the Brothers' long out-of-print Cadence hits) and new artists. Barnaby also had several top-40 hits in the 1970s with novelty artist Ray Stevens (who had done a summer replacement show for Williams in 1970), including number-one hits such as "Everything Is Beautiful" in 1970 and "The Streak" in 1974. Also in 1970, Barnaby signed and released the first album by an unknown singer-songwriter named Jimmy Buffett (Down to Earth) produced by Travis Turk.
Columbia was initially the distributor for Barnaby, but later distribution was handled first by MGM Records and then General Recorded Tape. Once Barnaby ceased operating as a working record company at the end of the 1970s, Williams licensed the old Cadence material to various other labels (such as Varèse Sarabande and Rhino in the US) after 1980.
Politics
Williams was close friends with Robert F. Kennedy and his wife,
Williams later said that despite his friendship with the Democratic Kennedys, he was a lifelong
Personal life

Williams met French-born Claudine Longet in Las Vegas when her car broke down and he offered help. She was a dancer at the time at the Folies Bergère. They married on December 15, 1961, and over the next eight years, they had three children—Noelle, Christian (died 2019),[34] and Robert.[35] After separating in 1970,[36] Williams and Longet divorced in 1975, but they remained friends.[37] In March 1976, Longet was charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, alpine ski racer Spider Sabich, in Aspen. Williams played a public role in the subsequent events, escorting her to and from the courtroom, testifying to her character at the trial, and providing legal assistance.[38] Longet claimed the shooting was accidental and eventually served 30 days in jail.
Williams also had partial ownership of the
On May 3, 1991, Williams married Debbie Haas, née Meyer, whom he met through a mutual friend. They made their homes at Branson, Missouri, and La Quinta, California, where he was known as the "honorary mayor".[17] Williams was a noted collector of modern art and his homes have been featured in Architectural Digest.[39]
Williams' birthplace in Iowa is a tourist attraction and is open most of the year.[40][41]
Hobbies
Williams was an avid golfer and hosted a PGA Tour golf tournament in San Diego from 1968 to 1988 at Torrey Pines. Then known as the "Andy Williams San Diego Open", the tournament continues as the Farmers Insurance Open, usually played in February. He was also a competent ice skater and occasionally skated as part of his television Christmas shows.[42]
Williams was a noted art collector whose collection had hung in his homes, his offices, and in the Moon River Theatre, and was exhibited at the Saint Louis Art Museum in 1997 and 1998.[43] After his death, his collection was split among several auction houses. His paintings went to Christie's New York, where they fetched over $50 million.[44] His folk art collection was sold at Skinner for $2,471,725.[45] His collection of Navajo blankets was sold by Sotheby's on May 21, 2013, yielding $978,506 (£642,064).[46][43]
Illness and death
In a surprise appearance at his theater in November 2011, Williams announced that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer.[47] After chemotherapy treatment in Houston, his wife and he moved to a rented home in Malibu, California, to be closer to cancer specialists in the Los Angeles area.[35][48]
On September 25, 2012, Williams died of bladder cancer at the age of 84 at his home in Branson, Missouri.[49][50][51][52] Williams' body was cremated, and his ashes were sprinkled into the artificial waterway named Moon River at his theater in Branson.[2] The memorial service for Williams was held a month later.[53][54][55]
Awards and achievements
The Andy Williams Show won three Emmy Awards in 1963, 1966, and 1967 for Outstanding Variety Series.[56][57]
Andy Williams also earned six Grammy nominations:[58][59]
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1959
|
"Hawaiian Wedding Song" | Vocal Performance, Male
|
Nominated |
1962
|
"Danny Boy" | Nominated | |
1964
|
Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests | Album of the Year | Nominated |
"Days of Wine and Roses" | Vocal Performance, Male | Nominated | |
1965
|
The Academy Award-Winning "Call Me Irresponsible" and Other Hit Songs from the Movies | Nominated | |
1967
|
The Shadow of Your Smile | Nominated |
Other honors include:
- Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008[60]
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[61]
Discography
Andy Williams' extensive discography began with the release of the 1948 single "Jubilee" as a member of the Williams Brothers alongside Kay Thompson. He recorded his first solo album, Andy Williams Sings Steve Allen, eight years later, and remained active in the music industry for the next 56 years, completing 43 studio albums, alongside compilation albums and more.
Studio albums
- Andy Williams Sings Steve Allen (1956)
- Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein (1958)
- Two Time Winners (1959)
- To You Sweetheart, Aloha (1959)
- Lonely Street (1959)
- The Village of St. Bernadette (1960)
- Under Paris Skies (1960)
- Danny Boy and Other Songs I Love to Sing (1962)
- Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes (1962)
- Million Seller Songs (1962)
- Warm and Willing (1962)
- Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests (1963)
- The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963)
- The Wonderful World of Andy Williams (1964)
- The Academy Award-Winning "Call Me Irresponsible" and Other Hit Songs from the Movies (1964)
- The Great Songs from "My Fair Lady" and Other Broadway Hits (1964)
- Andy Williams' Dear Heart (1965)
- Merry Christmas (1965)
- The Shadow of Your Smile (1966)
- In the Arms of Love(1966)
- Born Free (1967)
- Love, Andy (1967)
- Honey (1968)
- Happy Heart(1969)
- Get Together with Andy Williams (1969)
- Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (1970)
- The Andy Williams Show (1970)
- Love Story (1971)
- You've Got a Friend (1971)
- Love Theme from "The Godfather"(1972)
- Alone Again (Naturally) (1972)
- Solitaire (1973)
- The Way We Were (1974)
- Christmas Present (1974)
- You Lay So Easy on My Mind (1974)
- The Other Side of Me (1975)
- Andy (1976)
- Let's Love While We Can (1980)
- Greatest Love Classics (1984)
- Close Enough for Love (1986)
- I Still Believe in Santa Claus (1990)
- Nashville (1991)
- We Need a Little Christmas (1995)
- I Don't Remember Ever Growing Up (2007)
Filmography
- 1944: Janie
- 1944: Kansas City Kitty
- 1947: Ladies' Man
- 1947: Something in the Wind
- 1960: The Man in the Moon
- 1964: I'd Rather Be Rich
- 1980: The Muppet Show, special guest star
- 1999: Dorival Caymmi (documentary)
- 2009: Sebring (documentary)
Bibliography
- Williams, Andy (2009). Moon River & Me. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-02117-8.
References
Notes
- ^ "Gold & Platinum: Andy Williams". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Andy Williams (I)". IMDb. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ "Top Artist(Albums)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Laing, Dave (September 26, 2012). "Andy Williams obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Andy Williams". TV.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ "Andy Williams - September 25, 2012 - Obituary - Tributes.com". Wral.tributes.com.
- ^ Andy Williams obituary; Popular crooner who sold more than 100m albums in a career that spanned eight decades The Guardian. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Andy Williams dies at 84; ‘Moon River’ singer Los Angeles Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ CNN LARRY KING WEEKEND: The Best of Interviews With Andy Williams CNN via Internet Archive. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ McBride, Joseph. Hawks on Hawks. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1982. p. 130.
- ^ "Kay Thompson Website". Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ "Andy Williams – Celebrity information". Mysticgames.com. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (September 27, 2012). "Andy Williams dies at 84". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (September 26, 2012). "Andy Williams: A Farewell Song for the "Moon River" Man". Time. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ISBN 9780306815645. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-670-02117-8.
- ^ a b c Munson, Kyle (December 25, 2009). "Iowa's own Andy Williams is "Mr. Christmas" to the nation". Des Moines Register. reprinted in Register blog September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.[dead link ]
- ^ Parker, Suzi (September 26, 2012). "Andy Williams crossed generational and political lines in his long career". Washington Post. The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ "Colorful Halftime For Super Bowl VII". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press. January 15, 1973. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Super Bowl VII Halftime in 1973 featuring Andy Williams!". YouTube. January 28, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ Kroll, Barb & Ron. "Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson Missouri". krolltravel.com. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
- ^ "CNN Transcript – Larry King Live: Andy Williams Discusses His Return to Singing – August 22, 2000". Transcripts.cnn.com. August 22, 2000. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Andy Williams Biography". songwritershalloffame.org. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008.
- ^ "Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson, MO". Vacations Made Easy. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "CNN Transcript – Larry King Live: Andy Williams Discusses His Return to Singing". Transcripts.cnn.com. August 22, 2000. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ "Andy Williams Moon River Theatre". AndyWilliams.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ "Strictly Come Dancing TV Appearance". Sony Music. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (September 27, 2012). "Andy Williams, 'Moon River' singer, dies at 84". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ McGovern, George S., Grassroots: The Autobiography of George McGovern, New York: Random House, 1977, p. 173.
- ^ Romano, Lois (August 8, 2005). "Branson, Mo., Looks Beyond RVs and Buffets". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ "Andy Williams accuses Barack Obama of following Marxist theory". The Daily Telegraph. London. September 28, 2009. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ Hall, Katy (September 29, 2009). "Andy Williams: Obama Wants The Country To Fail". Huffington Post.
- ^ [1] Archived October 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Christian Jay Williams". Aspen Daily News. August 6, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ The Daily Express. London.
- ^ "Andy Williams to Separate", Washington Post, June 9, 1970, B6.
- ^ Larry King Live (2000). "Transcript of Interview with Andy Williams, 22 August 2000". CNN. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
- ^ "Andy Williams dies aged 84". The Daily Telegraph. London. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ Ratcliff, C. "Architectural Digest visits Andy Williams". Architectural Digest (July 1987): 40.
- ^ "Andy Williams Birthplace – Wall Lake, IA - Childhood Homes on Waymarking.com". Waymarking.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
- ^ "Andy Williams Birthplace – Wall Lake, Iowa — Iowa Tourism". Iowabeautiful.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
- ^ Andy Williams Christmas Show (TV production). 1967.
- ^ a b Douglass, Lynn (January 7, 2013). "Singer Andy Williams' Navajo Blanket Collection Will Go Up For Sale, Rare Chief's Blanket Is The Star". Forbes.
- ^ "Andy Williams Art Collection Sells For $46 Million". Kxrb.com. May 18, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "Andy Williams Folk Art Collection | Skinner Auction Results". Skinnerinc.com. March 14, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "Sotheby's Sale Results: New York: Sale N08984 The Andy Williams Collection Of Navajo Blankets" (PDF). Sothebys.com. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ Francke, Tyler (October 21, 2012). "Andy Williams confirms cancer diagnosis". Branson Tri-Lakes News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (November 7, 2011). "Andy Williams tells audience he has bladder cancer". Theguardian.com.
- ^ "Andy Williams, Moon River singer, dies aged 84". BBC News. September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ Gates, Anita (September 26, 2012). "Andy Williams, Crooner of 'Moon River,' Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (September 26, 2012). "Andy Williams, 'Moon River' Singer, Dies at 84". People. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ Thomas, Bob; Salter, Jim (September 26, 2012). "'Moon River' Crooner Andy Williams Dies at Age 84". Associated Press. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
- ^ "Andy Williams memorial service is "Celebration of Life" - Branson, MO". Branson.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ^ "Andy Williams Obituary on Legacy.com". Legacy.com. September 26, 2012.
- ^ "Stars gather for Andy Williams". BBC News. October 22, 2012.
- ^ "The Andy Williams Show". IMDb.
- ISBN 9780786423293– via Google Books.
- ^ "Andy Williams, 1927–2012". Grammy.com. September 26, 2012.
- ^ "Andy Williams | Artist". www.grammy.com. Recording Academy. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "Society of Singers: ELLA honorees". February 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ "Andy Williams - Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
Sources