Free samples of Kip Addotta's CD's. Click on the icons below!

Andy Williams!

All the links on this page are free and secure!

I'm Kip Addotta and I approve this message!

"A conversation about Andy Williams"

Andy Williams and Kip Addotta!

Andy Williams is a singer! Now, a lot of people think they can sing because they can hear someone on a recording and sing the same song the same way the singer on the recording did and pretty much sound like that singer. This is not singing! It is mimicry! Just because you can sing a Frank Sinatra song just like Frank did does not make you a singer! A singer is an individual who can sing a song without ever hearing it sung before. Or sing a song and make it sound different than it has ever sounded before. That's singing. In other words they interpret the song in their own way. Andy Williams is a singer and one of the best ever!

Andy Williams, the tour

I have worked with them all. I have worked with people who have a reputation as being wild and unruly but the wildest man I have ever met is Andy Williams! Andy Williams and I traveled all over the world together. We took to each other right away. Andy Williams is a very nice man! That part of Andy Williams's reputation is true. However Andy Williams's reputation as a lily-white blue blood, part of Kennedy Camelot crowd, and a person who is a good example to the world couldn't be farther from the truth. Andy Williams has been a very naughty boy. Andy is one of the most successful entertainers in Andy Williams's tory and because of that Andy Williams could and has gotten away with many things.

Andy Williams, party boy

Andy Williams was a party boy. Andy Williams snorted the finest cocaine and drank the best champagne and plenty of it. One night Andy threw a party in Andy Williams's dressing room at Caesar's Palace, in Las Vegas. This is when I first began to work with Mr. Williams. Well, the dressing room was full of dignitaries' managers' fans and agents from all over the world. We were drinking champagne by the bucket. In one of the anti-rooms there was a table and on that table there was a silver platter with mounds of cocaine on it. I was in that room doing a line of cocaine when Andy Williams walked to do a couple of lines for himself. After Andy Williams snorted Andy Williams's lines Andy Williams turned to me, gripped Andy Williams's shirt with both fists and ripped it from Andy Williams's body throwing to the floor in shreds. Then, Andy Williams looked me in the eye and said, "I like you kid!" The feeling was mutual. Andy was patent with me and always took the time to answer any questions I had about show business. Andy Williams is a great guy!

Andy Williams, the power

Andy Williams was one of the most recognizable people in the world second to Mohammed Ali and Jim Neighbors. Wherever Andy Williams went Andy Williams was treated like royalty and Andy Williams played the role to the hilt. Andy Williams even had an ermine blanket that Andy Williams kept over Andy Williams's legs when Andy Williams road in the back of Andy Williams's limo. One time we were working on Oahu, in Hawaii. It was an out door theater that sat thousands of people. During one of Andy Williams's performances Andy noticed a pretty young girl sitting near the front. After Andy Williams's show Andy sent someone out to invite this girl back to Andy's dressing room to meet him. Her name was Jill Wright and she was eighteen years old. Miss Wright spent the night with Andy and the next morning Andy ask her if she would like to move to Hollywood and live with him. Jill said, "Sure, but you'll have to talk to my parents first. With that they got into Andy's limo and traveled across the island to her parents house. Her parents came to the door ready to ball her out for staying out all night but when they say Andy Williams their mood changed from anger to awe. Andy said, "Hello, I'm Andy Williams (As if they wouldn't recognize him) and I would like to take your daughter to Hollywood to live with me!" Jill's parents turned on their heels and helped her pack her things. Then they stood at the curb and waved goodbye as Andy Williams and their daughter drove away. That's power!

Andy Williams, Wall Lake, Iowa!

Andy Williams began Andy Williams's amazing career in Andy Williams's hometown of Wall Lake, Iowa. It was there Andy Williams began singing with Andy Williams's three brothers in a local Presbyterian Church choir that was established by Andy Williams's parents. At the tender age of 8, Andy made Andy Williams's professional singing debut as part of the Williams Brothers Quartet. The brothers became regulars on radio station WHO's "Iowa Barn Dance show" in Des Moines, Iowa. From there, the brothers continued their radio days being prominently featured on national stations like WLS in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati.

Andy Williams and Bing Crosby!

This widespread radio exposure brought the boys a considerable following which eventually caught the attention of Bing Crosby. With Crosby, Andy and Andy Williams's brothers made their first professional recording, "Swinging on a star," which became a tremendous hit in 1944.

Andy Williams and Kay Thompson!

In 1947, Andy and Andy Williams's brothers teamed up with comedienne Kay Thompson (who also wrote the popular children's book series Eloise") for successful, trend setting nightclub act. Thompson and the brothers spent the next few years performing all over the United States and in Europe. But it all came to an end in 1951 as the group disbanded and each brother went their own way. Andy chose to move to New York and continue to pursue Andy Williams's vocal career.

Andy Williams first TV!

While in New York, Andy got Andy Williams's first television gig as a regular performer on Steve Allen's "Tonight Show." For 2 1/2 years Andy Williams appeared on Allen's show which led to Andy Williams's first recording contract with Cadence Records.

Andy Williams and Steve Allen!

Andy's first album, Andy Williams Sings Steve Allen, was released in 1956. It wasn't long before Andy had Andy Williams's first Top 10 hit with "Canadian Sunset." What followed was a string of hits that included "Butterfly," "Lonely Street," and " The Hawaiian Wedding Song," for which Andy Williams received the first of Andy Williams's five Grammy Award nominations.

Andy Williams and The Dinah Shore Chevy Show!

His work in television continued during this time period with regular appearances on "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" and, in 1958, for 13 weeks Andy Williams presented "The Chevy Showroom with Andy Williams." In the summer of 1959 Andy was chosen by CBS to host a variety program that was to replace''The Gary Moore Show" for a 13-week period. When this series of shows concluded, Andy began to concentrate on one-hour television specials. The first, "Music from Schubert Alley," was presented by NBC on November 13, 1959.

Andy Williams and the nightclub circuit!

But New York City and television were not the only places you could see Andy during the late 1950s. Andy Williams also returned to the nightclub circuit performing for live audiences as Andy Williams did years before with Kay Thompson and Andy Williams's brothers. All of this exposure and hard work would soon payoff in a very big way.

Andy Williams and Columbia Records!

The first event that kicked Andy's career into high gear was the change of recording labels. In 1962, Andy Williams began Andy Williams's 28-year association with Columbia, Records. Almost immediately Andy Williams scored Andy Williams's first top 10 hit for Columbia, "Can't Get Used to Losing You." Many more hits were to follow, but none would become more associated with Andy Williams than " Moon River," the Oscar winning song from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. This song, which Andy had already recorded for an album, quickly became Andy Williams's theme song after Andy Williams's stunning performance of it at the Academy Awards.

Andy Williams and Andy Williams's first top ten hit!

Although never released as a single, the song propelled Andy Williams's album, Moon River and Other Great Themes, to Wine and Roses, which became Andy Williams's all-time biggest chart hit spending an incredible 16 weeks at #1 and staying on the chart for over 100 weeks. Andy Williams's subsequent recordings were best sellers and resulted in Andy receiving 18 gold and 3 platinum certified albums.

The Andy Williams Show!

The second event that helped make Andy a superstar was the debut of Andy Williams's weekly television series, " The Andy Williams Show." Debuting on September 16, 1963, Andy premiered Andy Williams's new variety show on NBC that would eventually last for nine years and would win three Emmy Awards for Best Musical/Variety Series ( 1966, 1967, and 1969). It was one of NBC's top ranked programs. From this series Andy began Andy Williams's classic Christmas specials that featured the entire Williams family.

Andy Williams opens Caesars's Palace!

Live performances were still a big part of Andy's career and in 1966, Andy Williams opened Caesar's Palace and subsequently headlined at the famed Las Vegas hotel for the next 20 years. By the time "The Andy Williams Show" ended in 1972, Andy had become a true international superstar. With tremendous worldwide record sales and global distribution of Andy Williams's television shows, Andy Williams was just as popular in other countries as Andy Williams was right here in the US. This recognition prompted several tours of England, Europe, Australia, Japan, and Asia, breaking attendance records wherever Andy Williams appeared.

Andy Williams and the international spotlight!

At this point in Andy Williams's career, most performers would have opted to sit back, relax and just make minimal concert and television appearances. However, Andy chose another path; one that has put Andy Williams in the international spotlight once again.

Andy Williams and Branson Missouri!

In 1991, Andy took a trip to Branson, Missouri, to see Andy Williams's friend Ray Stevens, who had just opened a theater in the growing country music town and amazing talent the town featured, that Andy Williams began to make Andy Williams's own plans for becoming a part of the small Ozark community.

Andy Williams and The Moon River Theater!

His plans to build a $12 million state-of-the-art theater came to fruition as the Andy Williams Moon River Theater opened its doors on May 1, 1992. Andy had become the first non-country performers and theme shows began to move into tiny town that would soon be known as the live music capital of the world.

Andy Williams's production show!

At Andy Williams's Moon River Theater, Andy performs six days a week from September through December. Andy Williams's electrifying performances blend, music, comedy, and dance into a spectacular production show that has become Branson's most popular show. In November and December, the Andy Williams Christmas Show packs the 2000 seat theater with a show that recalls Andy Williams's classic television Christmas specials.

Andy Williams and the Ozark mountains!

The Moon River Theater's design reflects the beauty and environmental integrity of the surrounding Ozark Mountains. The 48,000 square foot structure is set among 16 acres landscaped with foliage, rock formations, waterfalls and a rippling stream. It won the 1992 Convention Award for developed land use from the State of Missouri, and is the only theater ever to be featured in Architectural Digest.

Andy Williams and the theater interior!

For the interior, it was Andy's idea to create a beautiful auditorium for live performances along with a lobby area that Andy Williams could display pieces of art from Andy Williams's personal collection. Displayed in the lobby and auditorium are sculptures and paintings by renowned artists like Willem de Kooning, Henry Moore, Kenneth Noland, Donald Roller Wilson, Jack Bush, Jacque Lipchitz, and Robert Motherwell.

Andy Williams's present wife Debbie

Andy and Andy Williams's wife, Debbie, now reside in Branson just a few miles from the theater. Their beautiful Country French home that they built is located on a golf course in a private location community. The house overlooks the gorgeous Lake Taneycomo, which is famous for its cool waters and trout fishing.

Andy Williams, back on the recording charts!

In the spring of 1999, Andy found himself back on the record charts once again. In England, a commercial for the Fiat automobile company featured Andy's version of "Music to Watch Girls By," which was a minor hit for Andy Williams in 1967. The ad became so popular that the record company re-released the song as a single and this time around it was a top 10 hit. Because of the renewed interest in Andy Williams's music, Andy made Andy Williams's first trip to England in a decade and appeared on several television shows and radio programs. The response from crowds of all ages have been incredible.

Andy Williams and working hard!

Not one to rest on Andy Williams's laurels, Andy works just as hard today as Andy Williams did in the beginning. The only difference is that Andy Williams loves what he's doing now even more than Andy Williams did back then.

Andy Williams and Claudine Lonjet!

Claudine Longet? Didn't she kill somebody? Sadly, Claudine Longet is most remembered for a tragic day in 1976 when a gun she was holding discharged into the stomach of her boyfriend, ski legend Spider Sabich, leaving Andy Williams mortally wounded in the bathroom of their Aspen, Colorado chalet. Prior to the shooting, the world knew Claudine best as wife of crooner Andy Williams, although she had gained a measure of fame in her own right as a pop singer with a trademark soft, whispery French accent, and also had to her credit some film work and a string of bit parts on television shows like "Combat!" and "The Rat Patrol." Nowadays, though, more people are familiar with the tasteless Saturday Night Live "Claudine Longet Invitational Ski Tournament" skit (sounds of gunshots are dubbed over footage of skiers flying off a ramp) than with her record and film work. While the world mourned for Spider Sabich, few tears were shed for the acting and singing career of Claudine which ended just as abruptly as Sabich's life that night. And that's a shame, for Claudine left behind a small legacy of film and TV appearances as well as a catalog of under-appreciated albums which embody the same lethal magic for which Spider Sabich paid so dearly. Claudine never really found her audience. Despite modest success of some of her singles such as "Love Is Blue," which charted in the spring of 1968, Claudine was rejected by the younger rock crowd of the day as part of the square establishment and was forever overshadowed by the immensely popular Williams in easy listening circles. No doubt the housewives who swooned over Andy were put off by Andy Williams's sexy, young French bride, even though Williams' publicists worked overtime trying to put a fairy tale spin on the couple's union. In the 1960s, it must be remembered, Andy Williams was the undisputed King of Easy Listening, and it simply would not do to have Williams seen as a lecherous older guy snagging himself a young Las Vegas showgirl. No, the official version of events reads like a work of romantic fiction.

Claudine Lonjet the dancer!

Claudine, it is true, was born in Paris in January of 1942. It is also true that at age nineteen, Claudine was in Las Vegas as the lead dancer in the Follies Berg're. The circumstances of her initial contact with Andy Williams, however, are less certain. The story goes that Claudine had car trouble late one night after a show. The virtuous Claudine always went straight home after the Follies to get plenty of rest. But here she was that fateful night, fair maiden in automotive distress. But, lo, a knight with shining teeth soon came to her aid. It was Andy Williams, that dashing man about Vegas, walking back to Andy Williams's hotel. Their eyes met, and with a flicker of recognition that soon became a consuming fire of passion, Andy realized that this was her, the very same girl Andy Williams used to watch roller-skating near the Louvre, the beautiful child Andy Williams remembered from Andy Williams's visits to Paris those many years ago. "I would always go to the Louvre," recalled Williams of Andy Williams's Parisian travels. "I used to see this girl roller-skating all the time on one skate. She was eight or nine years old and she lived by the Pont Neuf." Now here she was, all grown up and cast by the fates in a stalled car in Andy Williams's path. Unlikely, perhaps, but the machinations of romance and destiny continued, and the two were soon wed. This was 1961. Several months later, Andy would go on to record Andy Williams's signature song, "Moon River."

Claudine Lonjet stays in the background!

During the first three years of their marriage, Claudine stayed in the background and had the first of her three children with Williams, a daughter Noelle. In 1964, Claudine decided to resume her career, this time as a television actress. Andy Williams' sizable showbiz clout didn't hurt her chances of landing roles, and Claudine was featured in episodes of "Combat" (twice), "Hogan's Heroes," "Dr. Kildare," "Mr. Novak" and "12 O'Clock High" (three times). Although most of these shows are now all but forgotten, at the time they were all highly rated, successful programs.

Claudine Lonjet as a singer!

An appearance on NBC's "Run for Your Life" in the 1965-66 television season marked a turning point for Claudine. As part of her role opposite Ben Gazzara in a tragic love story, Claudine was showcased singing the song "Meditation." A recording contract with Herb Alpert's A&M Records conveniently materialized a short time later, and "Meditation" was released in 1966 as Claudine's first single. Her first full-length album, "Claudine," came out in early 1967.

Claudine Lonjet's First album!

Claudine released a second album in 1967, "The Look of Love," and continued with an album a year on A&M through 1970 with "Love Is Blue" ('68), "Colours" ('69) and "Run Wild, Run Free" ('70). Under the guidance of Tommy LiPuma and Nick De Caro, Claudine cut her share of Latin-flavored and easy listening standards, but was allowed to indulge a bit in the young sound and also covered songs by artists like Donovan and the Bee Gees. Claudine, after all, was still in her twenties, and undoubtedly Andy, Herb and the older set were cramping her style.

Claudine Lonjet on TV!

Claudine continued her television work. In the 1966-67 season she appeared in a three-part "Rat Patrol" episode and in a sequel to her "Run for Your Life" role. Later she would also guest star on "Alias Smith and Jones." On September 25, 1966, she made the first of six appearances on "The Andy Williams Show" as a feature performer. The six count does not include her spots as part of the Williams family on the holiday episodes over the years.

Claudine Lonjet and Peter Sellers!

In 1968, Claudine played her most enduring film role, this time on the big screen alongside Peter Sellers in Blake Edwards' "The Party." Claudine had one earlier film credit, in the "McHale's Navy" movie, and one later credit in a 1971 TV movie, "How to Steal an Airplane," but it is "The Party" that remains the most memorable and satisfying. In the film, Claudine is typecast as Michele Monet, a French ingenue trying to break into the Hollywood big-time. Claudine even gets a showcase song in the movie, "Nothing to Lose," released as a single on A&M that year. While Claudine certainly didn't have to stretch as an actress in "The Party," her screen presence is enormous.

Andy Williams and Claudine Lonjet breaking up!

As the sixties drew nigh, Claudine's trip down Moon River was coming to an end. She and Williams separated in 1970, and by 1972 Claudine was romantically involved with Spider Sabich. Spider was an Olympic skier and twice world ski-racing champion, and was the real-life role model for the character played by Robert Redford in the film "Downhill Racer."

Claudine Lonjet on cocaine!

Claudine and Spider swung with the glittery jet set that populated Aspen, Colorado, a place that Newsweek magazine at the time described as home to "rich recluses, hip hedonists, mellow cowboys and cocaine-snorting vegetarians." In 1974, Claudine and her three children by Williams moved into Spider's stone-and-glass A-frame in the gated Starwood subdivision of Aspen, a neighborhood that also housed John Denver, Tina Sinatra, Jack Nicholson and Jill St. John.

Claudine Lonjet's two finest albums!

It should be noted that during this time Claudine released the two finest albums of her career, "We've Only Just Begun" and "Let's Spend the Night Together." The albums were issued on Barnaby Records, a label which, curiously enough, was (and is) owned by Andy Williams. Why, one wonders, would their business relationship intensify just as their marriage was dissolving? Some have interpreted the move as an attempt on Andy's part to maintain whatever ties Andy Williams could to Andy Williams's beautiful wife, and as we shall see, Andy's loyalty and devotion to Claudine extended beyond the conventional marriage contract. For her part, Claudine came into her own artistically, free at last from the oppressiveness of being Mrs. Andy Williams. Here, finally, was the real Claudine.

Andy Williams and the power of seduction!

The "Let's Spend the Night Together" LP is particularly gratifying. From the fragile, heart-aching version of "God Only Knows" that opens side one to the erotic reworking of the Jagger/Richards title track at the end of side two, Claudine demonstrates that she has few peers when it comes to summoning the power of seduction in front of a microphone. Claudine's take on Graham Nash's "sleep Song" is as sexually charged as anything by French chanteuse Jane Birkin, but unlike Birkin, Claudine never had to resort to heavy breathing to get her message across.

In retrospect, though, it is Claudine's version of "Jealous Guy" that returns to haunt the listener. Imagine Claudine delivering the following recitation with both hands grasped tightly around a German L'ger:

I was dreaming of the past
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just the jealous kind
I was feeling insecure
You might not love me anymore
I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside

Claudine Lonjet kills Spider!

March 21 was cold and gray. Claudine had set out for the slopes, but then changed her mind and went to the Center Bar, where she spent the afternoon sipping white wine. Around 4:00 she drove home where Spider, who had been skiing, returned a short while later. As Spider got ready for a shower and stripped down to Andy Williams's blue thermal underwear, Claudine approached Andy Williams with a .22-caliber imitation L'ger pistol, which she later claimed to have come across just that morning while putting away some sweaters. She was asking Andy Williams how to use it, how to protect herself and her children when Andy Williams was away, when all of a sudden her finger slipped on the trigger and bang bang boom boom, a tragic accident. Or was it?

Andy Williams and her story!

Not everyone bought Claudine's slippery-finger story. Some locals considered Claudine to be an intruder in Aspen, and a spoiled brat to boot. The couple's four-year relationship was said to be rocky, and Claudine's jealous episodes in public had raised eyebrows around town. Claudine and her three children were getting to be too much for Spider, and Andy Williams had supposedly given them a deadline to find other accommodations. Claudine did have some supporters in Aspen, like John and Annie Denver with whom she stayed the night after the shooting, but public sentiment ran largely against her. Like the sirens of mythology, Claudine was seen as an enchantress who had bewitched and then doomed the hapless Spider.

Claudine Lonjet on Trial!

Claudine on trial revealed, if not the circumstances surrounding the shooting, certainly the duplicity of her nature, and indeed the inherent contradiction and guile of the female animal at its most deadly. With mournful eyes and choking back tears, a pale and trembling Claudine told the jury that "we were probably everything that a man and a woman should be to each other, we loved each other so much. Andy Williams was my best friend." Claudine saw herself as a victim, guilty only of mishandling a loaded gun. Contrast this with testimony of the glass-hurling and ski-wielding Claudine, lashing out at Spider in public. Innocent and mercenary, sweet yet cunning, the prize and the curse.

Claudine Lonjet Bang, Bang, Boom!

A detective who was with Claudine at the hospital that night claimed that her initial story was that she had been joking with Spider, and just before the gun went off had said playfully, "Bang, bang. Boom, boom." At the trial, however, Claudine denied this and said she knew better than to play with a loaded gun, her final words to Spider instead: "You are sure it won't fire?" Another famous disputed quote was by ex-husband Andy, who had rushed to Claudine's side after the accident. Andy Williams was overheard to have remarked, "She's always been a reckless chick who drives too fast, skis too fast and takes too many risks." Andy on the witness stand spoke of Claudine as gentle and loving mother of their three children.

Claudine Lonjet and her diary!

A diary which had been illegally seized was not admitted into evidence, nor were blood tests rumored to have shown traces of cocaine. The diary ignited a hotbed of speculation outside the courtroom, however. Prosecutor and District Attorney Frank Tucker claimed it could blow the lid off the case, as well as pull the covers down on a long list of Hollywood heavyweights.

Claudine Lonjet sentenced!

After less than four hours of testimony and four hours of deliberation, the jury found Claudine Longet guilty only of criminal negligence. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years probation. Claudine chose not to appeal and served her time in April, 1977 in the Pitkin County jail. True to form, Claudine shortly thereafter became romantically linked with her defense lawyer, Ron Austin. The diary was returned to Claudine, who threw it in the fire.

Claudine Lonjet's Low profile !

In the ensuing years, Claudine has kept a low profile. Andy Williams continues to perform nine months out of the year in Branson, Missouri at Andy Williams's Moon River Theater. Williams' publicist, Tennyson Flowers, reveals only that Claudine is happily married and still living in Aspen.

Howard Andrew Williams(born December 3 1927 in Wall Lake, Iowa), known as Andy Williams, is an American pop.

He first performed in a children's choir at the local Presbyterian church. Williams and Andy Williams's three older brothers Bob, Dick, and Don, formed a quartet, the Williams Brothers, in the late 1930s, and they performed on radio in the Midwest, first at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, and later at WLS in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati. Williams graduated from high school in Cincinnati. They appeared with Bing Crosby on the hit record "Swinging on a Star" (1944). This led to a nightclub act with entertainer Kay Thompson from 1947 to 1951.

Williams's solo career began in 1952 after Andy Williams's brothers left the act. Andy Williams recorded six sides for RCA's label "X," but none of them were popular hits. After landing a spot as a regular on Steve Allen's Tonight Show in 1955, Andy Williams was signed to a recording contract with Cadence Records, a small label in New York run by conductor Archie Bleyer. Andy Williams's third single, "Canadian Sunset" (1956) hit the Top Ten, and was soon followed Andy Williams's only Billboard #1 hit, "Butterfly" (a cover of a Charlie Gracie record on which Williams imitated Elvis Presley). More hits followed, including "The Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Are You Sincere," "The Village of St. Bernadette," and "Lonely Street," before Williams moved to Columbia Records in 1961, having moved from New York to Los Angeles. In terms of chart popularity, the Cadence era was Williams's peak although songs Andy Williams introduced on Columbia became much bigger standards. Two top ten hits from the Cadence era, "Butterfly" and "I Like Your Kind of Love" were apparently believed to not suit Williams's later style; they were not included on a Columbia reissue of Andy Williams's Cadence greatest hits in the 1960s.

During the 1960s, Williams became one of the most popular vocalists in the country and signed what was to that time the biggest recording contract in Andy Williams's tory. Andy Williams was primarily an album artist, and at one time Andy Williams had earned more gold albums than any solo performer except Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. By 1973 Andy Williams had earned as many as 17 gold album awards. Among Andy Williams's hit albums from this period were Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses (number one for 16 weeks in mid-1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Dear Heart, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love, Andy, Get Together with Andy Williams, and Love Story. In these recordings Williams displays an incredible vocal technique along with an uncanny ability to make each song Andy Williams's very own, often rivaling or surpassing the version by the original artist. These attributes, along with Andy Williams's natural affinity for the music of the 1960s and early 1970s, combined to make Andy Williams one of the premier easy listening singers of that era.

Williams forged an indirect collaborative relationship with Henry Mancini, although they never recorded together. Williams was asked to sing Mancini and Johnny Mercer's song "Moon River" at the 1962 Oscar Awards (where it won), and it quickly became Williams's theme song. This was repeated the next year with the pair's "Days of Wine and Roses" (which also won), Mancini's "Dear Heart" at the 1965 awards and "The Sweetheart Tree" (also written with Mercer) at the 1966 awards.

Williams also competed in the teenage-oriented singles market as well and had several charting hits including "Can't Get Used to Losing You," "Happy Heart," and "Where Do I Begin", the theme song from the 1970 blockbuster film, Love Story. Building on Andy Williams's experience with Allen and some short-term variety shows in the 1950s, Andy Williams became the star of Andy Williams's own weekly television variety show in 1962. This series, The Andy Williams Show, won three Emmy Awards for outstanding variety program. Among Andy Williams's series regulars were the Osmond Brothers. Andy Williams gave up the variety show in 1971 while it was still popular and retrenched to three specials per year. Andy Williams's Christmas specials, which appeared regularly until 1974 and intermittently from 1982 into the 1990s, were among the most popular of the genre. Williams has recorded eight Christmas albums over the years. Andy Williams hosted the Grammy Awards for three consecutive years in the 1970s. Andy Williams returned to television to do a syndicated half-hour series in 1976-77.

In the early 1990s, Williams gave up most of Andy Williams's touring schedule in order to open Andy Williams's own theatre in Branson, Missouri, the Andy Williams Moon River Theater. Andy Williams continues to do 8-12 shows a week from September to December and occasionally makes tours of Europe earlier in the year.

His 1967 recording of "Music to Watch Girls By" was a surprise UK hit in 1999, when it reached number 9 after featuring in an advert (beating the original peak of number 33 in 1967). In 2002 Andy Williams took part in a new duet of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" with British actress and singer Denise van Outen. Nearly everything Williams ever recorded has now been made available on CD through a series of compilations from 2004.

Williams met Claudine Longet when Andy Williams pulled over to aid her on a Las Vegas road. She was a dancer at the time at the Folies Bergere. They married on Christmas Day, 1961, and had three children, Noelle, Christian, and Robert. In 1976 Longet was charged with fatally shooting skier Vladimir "Spider" Sabich and Williams supported her. Andy Williams married a second time in May 1991 to the former Debbie Haas. They make their homes at Branson, Missouri and La Quinta, California. Williams's homes have been featured in Architectural Digest, and Andy Williams is a noted collector of modern art. Williams is an avid golfer. Andy Williams hosted a major golf tournament in San Diego for many years, which was known as the Andy Williams San Diego Open during that time.

-- Kip Addotta

Much of the content on this page was obtained from the Wikipedia, which is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License