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Quick Facts
- NAME: Andy Williams
- OCCUPATION: Singer, Television Personality
- BIRTH DATE: December 03, 1927
- DEATH DATE: September 25, 2012
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Wall Lake, Iowa
- Full Name: Howard Andrew Williams
- Nickname: "King of Easy Listening"
- Nickname: "Mr. Moon River"
- AKA: Andy Williams
Best Known For
Andy Williams is an American singer whose hits include “Moon River.” His Emmy-winning TV show entertained families during the 1960s and 1970s.
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Play NowAndy Williams. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 02:03, Jun 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966.
Andy Williams. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966 [Accessed 20 Jun 2013].
"Andy Williams." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 20 2013, 02:03 http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966.
"Andy Williams," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966 [accessed Jun 20, 2013].
"Andy Williams," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966 (accessed Jun 20, 2013).
Andy Williams [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966.
Andy Williams, http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966 (last visited Jun 20, 2013).
Andy Williams. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/andy-williams-162966. Accessed Jun 20, 2013.
Synopsis
Andy Williams, born on December 3, 1927, in Wall Lake, Iowa, made his singing debut at age 8 as part of the Williams Brothers quartet. He started a solo career in 1952 and had several hit singles, including his rendition of "Moon River" from the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. He launched The Andy Williams Show on NBC in 1962 and opened The Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri, in 1992. He died on September 25, 2012, following a years-long battle with bladder cancer.
Contents
Quotes
"The old cliche says that if you can remember the 1960s, you weren't there. Well, I was there all right, but my memory of them is blurred—not by any drugs I took, but by the relentless pace of the schedule I set myself."
"I was very lucky that I had a voice that sounded different to than almost anybody else's and it's recognisable."
"I never tried to sing like anybody else, fortunately I didn't sound like anybody else. It just happened."
Famed Crooner
Andy Wiliams was born Howard Andrew Williams on December 3, 1927 in Wall Lake, Iowa. As a youngster, Williams performed in a church choir with brothers Bob, Dick and Don, before they formed the Williams Brothers quartet in the late 1930s. The group had great success on Midwestern radio stations, eventually landing a nightclub gig with comedian Kay Thompson from 1947 to 1951.
In 1952, Williams launched his solo career. After a slow start, he started churning out a number of hit singles, including "Canadian Sunset," "Butterfly" and "The Hawaiian Wedding Song." Williams then moved to Los Angeles to sign the biggest recording contract of the time with Columbia Records. By 1973, he had recorded more than 17 gold records, including Moon River, Love Story and Days of Wine and Roses. Williams's vocal technique and easy-listening sound made him one of the most popular singers of his era. His rendition of "Moon River"—written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer—from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's was released on his 1962 album, Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes. One year earlier (in 1961), "Moon River" won an Oscar (best original song)—following its film debut in Breakfast at Tiffany's (sung by Audrey Hepburn). Williams performed the popular song at the Oscars in 1962.
That same year, Williams leveraged his popularity to debut his own TV variety series on NBC, The Andy Williams Show. The show won three Emmy Awards and lasted until 1971, continuing into the 1990s as an annual Christmas special featuring Williams's entire family. In 1992, the legendary singer opened the Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri, where he performed to sold-out crowds for years.
Personal Life and Death
Williams was married to dancer Claudine Longet from 1961 to 1969. He married a second time in 1991, to Debbie Haas.
Williams died on September 25, 2012, following a years-long battle with bladder cancer. He was survived by his wife, Debbie, and three children from his marriage to Longet: Robert, Noelle and Christian.
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