His voice once described by President Ronald Reagan as a “national treasure,” Andy Williams still delivers hits like laughed moon to fans of all ages.
Singing with his three brothers in the Williams Brothers Quartet in the 1930s set the stage for Andy’s lifelong entertainment career; which to date spans more than seven decades. In 1944, the group performed with Bing Crosby on the hit record, swinging on a star.
The young singer launched as a solo artist in 1953 when he recorded songs for RCA Victor Records. Neither recording was a hit, but thereafter he landed a part on the Tonight Show with Steve Allen in 1954. Consequently, he signed with a small record label, Cadence Records, which he would eventually own. Williams had many hits while with Cadence, including his only No. 1 single, Butterfly. During the Cadence era, Andy’s recording career reached its peak. Hits like, The Hawaiian Wedding Song, You are sincereand lonely street they were among some of his best-known songs released under the Cadence label. In 1961, Williams moved to Columbia Records and released her signature hit, I can’t get used to losing youwhich topped the charts at No. #2.
True to the traditional style of singers, Williams earned the title of ‘The King of Singing’ and followed in the footsteps of other singers, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
Williams was one of the most popular singers in the US in the 1960s, and by the early 1970s, he had more gold albums than any other artist. Among these best-selling albums were laughed moon, Days of wine and roses, Andy Williams Christmas Album, the shadow of your smileand Dear Heart.
A veteran Las Vegas fixture, the man with the ‘Golden Voice’ headlined the famed Caesars Palace for more than twenty years, beginning in 1966. Leaving no entertainment stone unturned, Williams parlayed his early years with Allen on The Tonight Show and began hosting his own variety show in 1962. Achieving enormous success on television, The Andy Williams Show regularly hosted guests such as Bobby Darin, Dick Van Dyke, Jonathan Winters, and even featured that beloved youth group, The Osmonds. Brothers. Williams ended his show in 1972 while it was still having strong ratings.
Nicknamed Mr. Christmas by many, Andy Williams released several Christmas albums and hosted annual Christmas television specials until 1974. He would still host an occasional special until 1982. From 1971 to 1977, Andy was the regular host of the Grammy Awards, hosting awards more than anyone in its history.
Moon River Theater
What do you do when you are 64 years old and have had great success as a recording artist, TV variety show host and record company owner? Well, you build a 2,500-seat theater in Branson, Missouri. That’s exactly what Andy Williams did, and since then he’s welcomed big-name guests like Glen Campbell and Petula Clark. The theater is set in the Ozark Mountains, where Williams and his wife of nineteen years, Debbie Meyer, make their part-time home. They also maintain a home on the west coast.
Still singing after all these years, Andy Williams, the boy from Walt Lake Iowa, has shown that rare staying power in an ever-changing entertainment business. He will celebrate his 84th birthday on December 3, 2011.