Andy Williams

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andy Williams (2006)

Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams (born December 3, 1927 in Wall Lake , Iowa , † September 25, 2012 in Branson , Missouri ) was an American pop singer and television entertainer .

Life

Andy Williams grew up in a poor family in Wall Lake, a small village in Iowa. He and his three brothers Bob, Dick and Don first appeared together as The Williams Brothers . In 1952 the brothers separated and Andy began a solo career. In the period up to his breakthrough, Andy Williams lived in modest circumstances.

From 1956 until well into the 1970s, he was represented with a total of 45 titles in the US charts. In the spring of 1957 he achieved a number one hit in the USA and Great Britain with Butterfly . Other popular titles and interpretations by Andy Williams are The Impossible Dream (The Quest) from the musical Der Mann von La Mancha , Music to Watch Girls By , Canadian Sunset , Where Do I Begin ( Love Story ) , Born Free , Can't Take My Eyes off You , Moon River - the title from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's is considered its signature melody -, Can't Get Used to Losing You or Up, Up and Away . Andy Williams was less successful in Germany, only two of his titles achieved middle placements in the hit parade: 1963 Can't Get Used to Losing You at 39th place and in 1971 (Where Do I Begin) Love Story at 38th place.

In the 1950s, Andy Williams' style of music was more oriented towards rock 'n' roll . In the following decade he became a sixties pop singer, and in the 1970s his “ easy listening ” style was unmistakable.

Between 1962 and 1967 and from 1969 to 1971 he had his own television show, The Andy Williams Show . Stars like Peter, Paul and Mary , Ray Charles , Bobby Darin , or Antônio Carlos Jobim had guest appearances on this program.

In 1964 he starred in the film I'd Rather Be Rich .

Andy Williams with Claudine Longet (1972)

In 1962 he married the French singer Claudine Longet . The couple separated in 1970 and the marriage ended in divorce in 1975. Even so, she and her three children appeared regularly on Williams' annual Christmas show until 1975.

His last album, released for his 80th birthday, is entitled I Don't Remember Ever Growing Up . Two years later he published his autobiography Moon River and Me .

Andy Williams was active on stage even in old age. After saying goodbye to concerts outside the United States at the Royal Albert Hall in England in 2009 , he performed from September to December in his own Moon River Theater in Branson , built in the 1990s .

Andy Williams was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011 and died of the disease a year later.

Trivia

Williams made a guest appearance on the animated series The Simpsons ; Nelson Muntz counts in the episode Die Reise nach Knoxville (original title: Bart on the Road ) to his biggest fans.

In the late 1990s, one made Fiat - commercial , of his song from 1967, Music to Watch Girls By , made in England back to hit the "Emperor of Easy" also known among the younger generation.

The former President of the United States , Ronald Reagan , a big fan of the singer, called Williams unique voice once as "National Treasure".

Discography

Studio and live albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE UK UK US US
1960 Lonely Street - - US38 (4 weeks)
US
First published: December 1959
1962 "Danny Boy" and Other Songs I Love to Sing - - US19 (36 weeks)
US
First published: February 1962
1963 Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes - - US3
gold
gold

(176 weeks)US
First published: April 1962
Warm and willing - - US16 (44 weeks)
US
First published: October 1962
Days of Wine and Roses - - US1
gold
gold

(107 weeks)US
First published: April 1963
1964 The Wonderful World of Andy Williams - - US9
gold
gold

(24 weeks)US
First published: January 1964
The Academy Award Winning
"Call Me Irresponsible" 		- - US5
gold
gold

(63 weeks)US
First published: April 1964
The Great Songs from "My Fair Lady"
and Other Broadway Hits 		- UK30 (1 week)
UK 		US5
gold
gold

(33 weeks)US
First published: September 1964
Chart entry in UK only in April 1966
1965 Dear Heart - - US4th
gold
gold

(65 weeks)US
First published: 1965
Hawaiian Wedding Song - - US61 (18 weeks)
US
Columbia -Wiederveröffentlichung, 1959 under the title To You Sweetheart, Aloha the label Cadence published
Almost there - UK4 (46 weeks)
UK 		-
First published: June 1965
Can't Get Used to Losing You - UK16 (1 week)
UK 		-
First published: July 1965
1966 May Each Day - UK11 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
First published: March 1966
The Shadow of Your Smile - UK24 (4 weeks)
UK 		US6th
gold
gold

(54 weeks)US
First published: April 1966
1967 In the Arms of Love - - US21 (22 weeks)
US
First published: December 1966
Born Free - UK22 (11 weeks)
UK 		US5
gold
gold

(79 weeks)US
First published: April 1967
1968 Love, Andy - UK1 (22 weeks)
UK 		US8th
gold
gold

(36 weeks)US
First published: October 1967
Honey - UK4 (17 weeks)
UK 		US9
gold
gold

(40 weeks)US
First published: June 1968
1969 Happy heart - UK22 (10 weeks)
UK 		US9
gold
gold

(23 weeks)US
First published: July 1969
Get Together with Andy Williams - UK13 (11 weeks)
UK 		US27
gold
gold

(21 weeks)US
First published: October 1969
1970 Can't Help Falling in Love - UK7 (41 weeks)
UK 		-
First published: June 1970
Raindrops Keep Fallin 'on My Head - - US43 (19 weeks)
US
First published: 1970
The Andy Williams Show - UK10 (6 weeks)
UK 		US81 (17 weeks)
US
First release: November 1970
live album
1971 Home lovin 'man - UK1 (26 weeks)
UK 		-
First published: January 1971
Love story - UK11 (11 weeks)
UK 		US3
platinum
platinum

(33 weeks)US
First published: February 1971
You've got a friend - - US54 (12 weeks)
US
First published: August 1971
1972 Love Theme from "The Godfather" - UK11 (16 weeks)
UK 		US29
gold
gold

(26 weeks)US
First published: June 28, 1972
Alone Again (Naturally) - - US86 (18 weeks)
US
First published: September 1972
1973 Solitaire - UK3
gold
gold

(26 weeks)UK 		US185 (6 weeks)
US
First published: August 1973
1974 The Way We Were - UK7th
silver
silver

(10 weeks)UK 		-
First published: May 1974
1975 You Lay So Easy on My Mind - UK-
silver
silver
UK 		US150 (4 weeks)
US
First published: November 1974
The Other Side of Me - UK60 (1 week)
UK 		-
First published: September 1975
1999 In the Lounge with Andy Williams - UK39
silver
silver

(3 weeks)UK 		-
First published: March 1999
2012 Personal Christmas Collection - - US115 (20 weeks)
US
First published: 1994
2013 Classic Christmas Album - - US23 (20 weeks)
US
First published: October 8, 2013
2014 40 Christmas Classics - - US158 (2 weeks)
US
First published: October 31, 2014
2018 The Andy Williams Christmas Album - UK-
silver
silver
UK 		US40
platinum
platinum

(8 weeks)US
First published: October 1963

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

swell

  1. ^ Anita Gates: Andy Williams, Crooner of 'Moon River,' Dies at 84. In: The New York Times . September 26, 2012, accessed September 27, 2012 .
  2. ^ Günter Ehnert (Ed.): Hit balance sheet. German chart singles 1956–1980 . Taurus Press, Hamburg 1990, p. 218
  3. ↑ Velvet voice Andy Williams is dead  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. n24. 27 September 2012@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.n24.de  
  4. ↑ Chart sources: Chartsurfer DE AT UK US
  5. ^ The Billboard Albums by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7 .

Web links

Commons : Andy Williams  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Williams, Andy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Williams, Howard Andrew
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pop singer and television entertainer
DATE OF BIRTH December 3, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Wall Lake , Iowa , USA
DATE OF DEATH September 25, 2012
Place of death Branson , Missouri , USA