Post by zimmerman on Sept 24, 2013 18:07:51 GMT -5
In comemeration of the one year anniversary of this talented vocalists passing tomorrow, I have brought this thread back up with some additional information:
Born on December 3, 1927, Howard Andrew Williams was one of five children born to Jay Emerson and Florence Williams, the youngest of four sons. His sister, Janey (also deceased) was born the year after Andy. The music bug hit Andy at an early age when he sang with his older brothers Bob, Don, and Dick in the choir of their Presbyterian church. Their father sensed potential in his boys early on, and soon the four boys, lovingly guided by ther father, who also doubled as their manager, helped to garner his boys into a show business career. Their tight harmony blend was very similar to another famous brother vocal group of the 1950's, The Ames Brothers.
When Andy was 8 years old, the brothers garnered a 15-minute radio show on the legendary WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, on weekday mornings. In 1941, the family moved to the Windy City, Chicago, and did a morning show on WLS Radio, then known as "The Prarie Farmer Station", and would play his records when the station switched to a top-40 format 19 years later. they also were regulars on the "National Barn Dance." The following year, the family moved to Ohio and did various programs on WLW in Cincinatti.
Two years later, the family moved to California, and The Williams Brothers got their first major big break: being the background vocalists for Bing Crosby's big hit "Swingin' On A Star." plus, at 14 years of age, Andy became the singing voice for Lauren Becall in "To Have and Have Not." Three years later, the brothers hooked up with author-singer-comedienne Kay Thompson for a remarkable run during the remainder of the decade, being known as Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers."
In 1953, the brothers officially parted ways, Andy slowly stated making a go at a solo career. His first official big break as a solo artist came in 1955, wherein he was cast as a regular on Steve Allen's "Tonight" Show. Two years later, he starred in a number of summer replacement shows, including one for Pat Boone, when he finally scored his first major recording contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records after releasing three singles on RCA's subsidiary labels X and Vik.
It was at Cadence that Andy emerged as a major player in records, with his second single, a vocal version of pianist Eddie Heywood's "Canadian Sunset", becoming his first top ten smash hit, peaking at #7. Shortly after this, Archie began steering Andy into Rock-&-Roll territory with songs like a cover version of Charlie Gracie's "Butterfly" (his only pop #1 hit), and "I Like Your Kind of Love". Despite these hits, Andy's biggest hits on the Cadence label were ballads, like "Are You Sincere", "The Hawaiian Wedding Song", "How Wonderful To Know", show tunes like "The Bilbao Song", and movie tunes with psuedo-rock overtones, like "Baby Doll."
In addition to singles, Andy recorded several albums for Cadence, including Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lonely Street, To You Sweetheart Aloha, The Village of St. Bernadette, Under Paris Skies, recorded in Paris under the direction of Quincy Jones and Billy Byers, and Two Time Winners.
In 1962, with more West Coast commitments on his schedule, Archie Bleyer graciously let Andy out of his Cadence contract, and signed with the major label Columbia, wherein he scored 18 Gold and Three platinum albums. He also scored several hit singles for the label, the biggest being "Can't Get Used To Losing You", written by veteran Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths Doc Poumus and Mort Shuman, peaking at #2 on the charts. Pomus also wrote follow-ups. "Hopeless" and "Wrong For Each Other." Other hits, major and minor for the label, include "Don't You Believe It", "Ain't It True", "And Roses And Roses", "Theme From Love Story" "Music To Watch Girls By" and "Battle Hymn of the Republice", released in the wake of Robert F. Kennedy's assasination. After two albums, he scored his first biggest seller with the company with his third LP, "Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes". Other notable LPs from this period include Dear Heart, Danny Boy, Warm and Willing, The Wonderful World of Andy Wiliams, Days Of Wine And Roses, Call Me Irresponsible, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love Andy, and Born Free.
in late 1964, Andy went to see Archie Bleyer. Knowing that the latter was closing Cadence Records and planning to sell the masters to Pickwick Records, Andy approached Archie about buying his masters back. Mr. Bleyer went for an "all-or-nothing" deal., and he wound up owning the entire master tape library of Cadence, which included some important masters by the Everly Brothers, The Chordettes, Julius LaRosa, and Johnny Tilltson, and operated his own subsidiary label, Barnaby Records, named after his dog. He later signed real artists to the company, including the Osmond Brothers (briefly), wife Claudine Longet, rock band Loadstone, and funnyman Ray Stevens, who gave the company two #1 hits, "The Streak", and "Everything Is Beautiful."
It was also during this period that he married French Chantreuse Claudine Longet and premiered his hugely successful NBC televison series, which originally aired from '62 to '66. In '67, he cut back to three specials a year and kept up with his touring and recording commitments, beginning with the "Born Free" LP, Andy began to turn his attention to cover versions of some of the most popular hits of the day, while scoring hits like "Music To Watch Girls By" and "Happy Heart", the latter's flip side being an outstanding original penned by his arranger at the time, Nick DeCaro, "Our Last Goodbye." Among Andy's cover albums include Raindrops Keep Falllin' On My Head, Honey, You've Got A Friend, Alone Again (Naturally), Love Story, The Way We Were, and Get Together With Andy Williams. That latter album came out in 1969, when Andy revived his television show, making the kind of programs his kids would enjoy.
By the end of the 1970's, Andy's career had hit a slump, being dropped by Columbia Records, doing another syndicated television show and standing by his now ex-wife Claudine in the murder of her boyfriend Spider, a skiier. He continued to record one-off albums for labels like Capitol and Atco and taped specials in the '80's before reemerging in a big way in 1992 when he built his Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson Missouri and married his final wife,. Debbie. Some UK commercials who used his original recordings of "Music To Watch Girls By" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." Due to the commercials, he became a Tom Jones-esque icon in the UK, where his popularity never wavered in the 1970's. For those devoted British fans, he recorded and released the UK-only album I Don't Remember Ever Growing Up, which included originals like the title track and "I Don't Want To Talk About It" and cover versions of Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and the Police's "Every Breath You Take." Released in 2007, the album became Andy's last major notable album release, as he looked back on his life and illustrious career with his 2009 memoir, Moon River and Me. Shortly after it's release, Andy resumed his touring and Branson schedule, annoucing in the fall of 2011 grand plans for a series of shows to celebrate his 75th anniversary in show business at the Moon Ruver Theatre in Branson. Sadly, that was not to be. In November 2011, he surprised and shocked his many fans by announcing that he had bladder cancer and was planning to take some time off until he recovered. Sadly, he had an aggressive form of cancer, and spent his last days at his home in Branson, Missouri , with friends and family by his side to pay their last respects,. before passing away peacefully at his Branson home on Tuesday evening, September 25, 2012.
RIP Andy Williams, one of my all-time faves. .
Born on December 3, 1927, Howard Andrew Williams was one of five children born to Jay Emerson and Florence Williams, the youngest of four sons. His sister, Janey (also deceased) was born the year after Andy. The music bug hit Andy at an early age when he sang with his older brothers Bob, Don, and Dick in the choir of their Presbyterian church. Their father sensed potential in his boys early on, and soon the four boys, lovingly guided by ther father, who also doubled as their manager, helped to garner his boys into a show business career. Their tight harmony blend was very similar to another famous brother vocal group of the 1950's, The Ames Brothers.
When Andy was 8 years old, the brothers garnered a 15-minute radio show on the legendary WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, on weekday mornings. In 1941, the family moved to the Windy City, Chicago, and did a morning show on WLS Radio, then known as "The Prarie Farmer Station", and would play his records when the station switched to a top-40 format 19 years later. they also were regulars on the "National Barn Dance." The following year, the family moved to Ohio and did various programs on WLW in Cincinatti.
Two years later, the family moved to California, and The Williams Brothers got their first major big break: being the background vocalists for Bing Crosby's big hit "Swingin' On A Star." plus, at 14 years of age, Andy became the singing voice for Lauren Becall in "To Have and Have Not." Three years later, the brothers hooked up with author-singer-comedienne Kay Thompson for a remarkable run during the remainder of the decade, being known as Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers."
In 1953, the brothers officially parted ways, Andy slowly stated making a go at a solo career. His first official big break as a solo artist came in 1955, wherein he was cast as a regular on Steve Allen's "Tonight" Show. Two years later, he starred in a number of summer replacement shows, including one for Pat Boone, when he finally scored his first major recording contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records after releasing three singles on RCA's subsidiary labels X and Vik.
It was at Cadence that Andy emerged as a major player in records, with his second single, a vocal version of pianist Eddie Heywood's "Canadian Sunset", becoming his first top ten smash hit, peaking at #7. Shortly after this, Archie began steering Andy into Rock-&-Roll territory with songs like a cover version of Charlie Gracie's "Butterfly" (his only pop #1 hit), and "I Like Your Kind of Love". Despite these hits, Andy's biggest hits on the Cadence label were ballads, like "Are You Sincere", "The Hawaiian Wedding Song", "How Wonderful To Know", show tunes like "The Bilbao Song", and movie tunes with psuedo-rock overtones, like "Baby Doll."
In addition to singles, Andy recorded several albums for Cadence, including Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lonely Street, To You Sweetheart Aloha, The Village of St. Bernadette, Under Paris Skies, recorded in Paris under the direction of Quincy Jones and Billy Byers, and Two Time Winners.
In 1962, with more West Coast commitments on his schedule, Archie Bleyer graciously let Andy out of his Cadence contract, and signed with the major label Columbia, wherein he scored 18 Gold and Three platinum albums. He also scored several hit singles for the label, the biggest being "Can't Get Used To Losing You", written by veteran Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths Doc Poumus and Mort Shuman, peaking at #2 on the charts. Pomus also wrote follow-ups. "Hopeless" and "Wrong For Each Other." Other hits, major and minor for the label, include "Don't You Believe It", "Ain't It True", "And Roses And Roses", "Theme From Love Story" "Music To Watch Girls By" and "Battle Hymn of the Republice", released in the wake of Robert F. Kennedy's assasination. After two albums, he scored his first biggest seller with the company with his third LP, "Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes". Other notable LPs from this period include Dear Heart, Danny Boy, Warm and Willing, The Wonderful World of Andy Wiliams, Days Of Wine And Roses, Call Me Irresponsible, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love Andy, and Born Free.
in late 1964, Andy went to see Archie Bleyer. Knowing that the latter was closing Cadence Records and planning to sell the masters to Pickwick Records, Andy approached Archie about buying his masters back. Mr. Bleyer went for an "all-or-nothing" deal., and he wound up owning the entire master tape library of Cadence, which included some important masters by the Everly Brothers, The Chordettes, Julius LaRosa, and Johnny Tilltson, and operated his own subsidiary label, Barnaby Records, named after his dog. He later signed real artists to the company, including the Osmond Brothers (briefly), wife Claudine Longet, rock band Loadstone, and funnyman Ray Stevens, who gave the company two #1 hits, "The Streak", and "Everything Is Beautiful."
It was also during this period that he married French Chantreuse Claudine Longet and premiered his hugely successful NBC televison series, which originally aired from '62 to '66. In '67, he cut back to three specials a year and kept up with his touring and recording commitments, beginning with the "Born Free" LP, Andy began to turn his attention to cover versions of some of the most popular hits of the day, while scoring hits like "Music To Watch Girls By" and "Happy Heart", the latter's flip side being an outstanding original penned by his arranger at the time, Nick DeCaro, "Our Last Goodbye." Among Andy's cover albums include Raindrops Keep Falllin' On My Head, Honey, You've Got A Friend, Alone Again (Naturally), Love Story, The Way We Were, and Get Together With Andy Williams. That latter album came out in 1969, when Andy revived his television show, making the kind of programs his kids would enjoy.
By the end of the 1970's, Andy's career had hit a slump, being dropped by Columbia Records, doing another syndicated television show and standing by his now ex-wife Claudine in the murder of her boyfriend Spider, a skiier. He continued to record one-off albums for labels like Capitol and Atco and taped specials in the '80's before reemerging in a big way in 1992 when he built his Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson Missouri and married his final wife,. Debbie. Some UK commercials who used his original recordings of "Music To Watch Girls By" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." Due to the commercials, he became a Tom Jones-esque icon in the UK, where his popularity never wavered in the 1970's. For those devoted British fans, he recorded and released the UK-only album I Don't Remember Ever Growing Up, which included originals like the title track and "I Don't Want To Talk About It" and cover versions of Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and the Police's "Every Breath You Take." Released in 2007, the album became Andy's last major notable album release, as he looked back on his life and illustrious career with his 2009 memoir, Moon River and Me. Shortly after it's release, Andy resumed his touring and Branson schedule, annoucing in the fall of 2011 grand plans for a series of shows to celebrate his 75th anniversary in show business at the Moon Ruver Theatre in Branson. Sadly, that was not to be. In November 2011, he surprised and shocked his many fans by announcing that he had bladder cancer and was planning to take some time off until he recovered. Sadly, he had an aggressive form of cancer, and spent his last days at his home in Branson, Missouri , with friends and family by his side to pay their last respects,. before passing away peacefully at his Branson home on Tuesday evening, September 25, 2012.
RIP Andy Williams, one of my all-time faves. .