Easily the most solid and long-lasting vocalist of his era, Andy Williams' laid-back
delivery and expansive voice has charmed audiences for decades, from his first appearance
with a brother quartet into his seventh decade of performance as the head of his own dinner
theater in Branson, MO. Born in Wall Lake, IA, Williams sang in his church choir and later
formed a quartet with his three brothers. The group performed on radio throughout the Midwest,
then moved to Los Angeles to make it in show business. The Williams Brothers Quartet appeared
on Bing Crosby's 1944 hit "Swinging On a Star" and appeared with comedienne Kay Thompson during
the late '40s.
Andy Williams finally began his solo career in 1952, making several appearances on Steve
Allen's Tonight Show before signing a contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records in 1955. He
hit the Top Ten in 1956 with his third single for the label, "Canadian Sunset." One year later,
his soft-toned cover of the Charlie Gracie rockabilly nugget "Butterfly" hit number one (it's
still his biggest hit). Additional Top Ten entries "Are You Sincere," "Lonely Street," and "The
Village of St. Bernadette" followed before Williams moved to Columbia in 1961.
Despite another big hit in 1963, "Can't Get Used to Losing You," Williams failed to generate much
action on the singles charts during the 1960s. Instead, his highly rated variety program on NBC-TV
spurred interest in the ever-growing LP market for adult and middle-of-the-road audiences. The popular
1962 album Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes featured the song he's most identified with, and the
following year's Days of Wine and Roses hit the top of the album charts. Nine more LPs hit the Top
Ten for Andy Williams during the '60s, many organized around loose themes — Broadway, ballads, and
one album that featured members of his family. Though 1971's Love Story was a platinum success that
sparked a Top Ten hit for the title song, his television show was canceled that year.
Andy Williams remained very popular during the '70s, especially for British audiences. His single "Solitaire"
hit the Top Ten there in 1973, though it didn't even chart in America. Two of his subsequent albums also
performed well, but only in Britain. He released relatively few LPs during the 1980s, but returned to the
pop world in the early '90s when he founded his own theater/resort in the home-grown entertainment capital
of Branson, MO. Williams continued to headline shows there during the rest of the decade and into the 2000s.
from the AllMusic Guide
Get Andy Williams music from iTunes here!
We book a lot of acts here at The Lonely Lounge. But each month we like to feature just one
artist that has truly gone over and above to make us all feel better (or maybe worse) in our solitude.
We'll also feature their music a little more often each month. They may be old. They may be
new. But they are always all lonely.
