Post by zimmerman on Oct 16, 2012 13:51:27 GMT -8
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". Still, Andy still manage to slip in a nice sophisticated ballad on occaision and score a major hit with it, as is the case with this one, "Are You Sincere", written by Wayne Walker, and one of my all-time favorite hits from him:
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, From which comes this outstanding vocal version of Big Bandleader Jimmy Dorsey's last major hit, "So Rare":
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. 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, The Shadow of Your Smile, and Born Free.
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."
The Happy Heart LP also contained an outstanding version of Stevie Wonder's uptempo version of "For Once In My Life" arranged by Al Capps:
His 1969 LP, "Get Together With Andy Willams" really covered the musical gamut, from Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour"and Mac Davis' "You Are" to this awesome rockin' version of the Youngbloods "Get Together"
Also in 1969, Andy revived his television show, making the kind of programs his kids would enjoy. His two major hits in the 1970's were the themes from "Love Story" and "The Godfather", and his cover albums, now produced by Dick Glasser, had gem after gem on them, like this version of the Fortunes "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again".....
To this wonderful version of "MacArthur Park"
By the end of the decade, 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. 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 some UK commercials who used his original recording of "Music To Watch Girls By". Andy split his time between Branson and La Quienta, California, married for the last time in 1991, and released highlights of his TV show on DVD for Time-Life in 2007 before being diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in November of 2011. Andy spent his final days in Branson and passed away peacefully there on the evening of September 25.
RIP Andy Williams, one of my all-time faves.
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". Still, Andy still manage to slip in a nice sophisticated ballad on occaision and score a major hit with it, as is the case with this one, "Are You Sincere", written by Wayne Walker, and one of my all-time favorite hits from him:
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, From which comes this outstanding vocal version of Big Bandleader Jimmy Dorsey's last major hit, "So Rare":
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. 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, The Shadow of Your Smile, and Born Free.
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."
The Happy Heart LP also contained an outstanding version of Stevie Wonder's uptempo version of "For Once In My Life" arranged by Al Capps:
His 1969 LP, "Get Together With Andy Willams" really covered the musical gamut, from Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour"and Mac Davis' "You Are" to this awesome rockin' version of the Youngbloods "Get Together"
Also in 1969, Andy revived his television show, making the kind of programs his kids would enjoy. His two major hits in the 1970's were the themes from "Love Story" and "The Godfather", and his cover albums, now produced by Dick Glasser, had gem after gem on them, like this version of the Fortunes "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again".....
To this wonderful version of "MacArthur Park"
By the end of the decade, 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. 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 some UK commercials who used his original recording of "Music To Watch Girls By". Andy split his time between Branson and La Quienta, California, married for the last time in 1991, and released highlights of his TV show on DVD for Time-Life in 2007 before being diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in November of 2011. Andy spent his final days in Branson and passed away peacefully there on the evening of September 25.
RIP Andy Williams, one of my all-time faves.
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