Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams ( born December 3, 1927 in Wall Lake, Iowa; † 25 September 2012 in Branson, Missouri) was an American pop singer and television entertainer.
Life and work
Andy Williams grew up in Wall Lake, a small town in Iowa in poverty. He and his three brothers Bob, Dick and Don were initially together as The Williams Brothers. In 1952, the brothers split, 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 U.S. charts. In the spring of 1957 with butterfly he had a number one hit in the U.S. and in the UK. Other popular titles or interpretations by Andy Williams are The Impossible Dream ( The Quest ) from the musical Man of La Mancha, Music To Watch Girls By, Canadian Sunset, Where Do I Begin ( Love Story ), Born Free, Can not Take My Eyes off You, Moon River - the title of the film breakfast at Tiffany's is regarded as his theme song - Can not Get Used To Losing You or Up, Up and Away. In Germany Andy Williams was less successful, only two of its titles, with lower rankings in the charts: 1963 Can not Get Used To Losing You # 39 and 1971 ( Where Do I Begin ) Love Story # 38
Andy Williams music style was hardly classified in a category, he was based in the 1950s, still more like rock 'n ' roll, he was in the following decade the Sixties - pop singer who comes to light only in the 70s, with its unmistakable " Easy Listening " seemed to have found himself. Between 1962 and 1967, and from 1969 to 1971 he had his own, very successful TV show ( The Andy Williams Show ). Many stars like Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, or Antônio Carlos Jobim had guest appearances on his show. Already 1952-1955 he became a regular on The Tonight Show on. In 1964, he starred in the movie I'd Rather Be Rich with. In 1962 he married the French singer Claudine Longet, from 1970 he was divorced again. Nevertheless, she went with her three children until 1975 regularly in the annual Christmas broadcast of Williams. This was abruptly ended when Claudine was accused of her lover, the Skiprofi Vladimir Sabich shot.
Andy Williams was remarkably fit even in old age. He himself once noted wryly to see young female fans screaming in front of the stage, help better than Viagra. After he had adopted in 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in England for concerts outside the States, he went from September to December in his built in the 1990's own "Moon River Theatre " in Branson on. His 80th birthday and posted last album is titled " I Do not Remember Ever Growing Up ". Two years later he published his autobiography, " Moon River And Me ". His last up to very high priority in the U.S., he also owed a guest appearance on The Simpsons; Nelson Muntz counts in the episode " The trip to Knoxville " ( original title: Bart On The Road) to his biggest fans. In other major television series he had previously guest appearances, such as in the Muppets Show. Towards the end of the 1990s made it very known a Fiat commercial, which again made his song from 1967 "Music To Watch Girls By " became a hit in England, the " Emperor Of Easy" even in a 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".
2011 was diagnosed with bladder cancer Andy Williams, one year later, he died from the disease.