Andy Williams Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Howard Andrew Williams
OCCUPATION: Singer, Television Personality
BIRTH DATE: December 03, 1927 (Age: 84)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Wall Lake, Iowa
Nickname: The King of Easy Listening

Nickname: Mr. Moon River
ZODIAC SIGN: Sagittarius

more about Andy

Best Known For

Andy Williams is an American singer. Three of his records went Platinum: Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses and Love Story. He also hosted a TV variety show.

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Andy Williams

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Synopsis

Andy Williams is an American singer who started off performing with his three brothers. He went solo in 1952. By 1973, he had recorded more than 17 Gold records, with three of them hitting Platinum: Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses and Love Story. He also hosted a TV variety program called The Andy Williams Show from 1959 to 1971. In 1992, he opened Moon River Theater in Branson,

Missouri.

Profile

Singer. Born Howard Andrew Williams on December 3, 1927 in Wall Lake, Iowa. As a youngster, Williams performed in a church choir with his 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, Days of Wine and Roses and Love Story. Williams' vocal technique and easy-listening sound made him one of the most popular singers of his era. His rendition of Henry Mancini's "Moon River" from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's won an Oscar in 1962.

That same year, Williams' leveraged his popularity to debut his own TV variety series on NBC called The Andy Williams Show. The show won three Emmy Awards and lasted until 1971, continuing into the 1990s as an annual Christmas special featuring his 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.

Williams was married to dancer Claudine Longet from 1961 to 1969. The couple has three children, Noelle, Christian and Robert. He married a second time in 1991 to Debbie Haas.