He first performed in a children's choir at his local Presbyterian church. Williams and his three older brothers Bob, Dick, and Don, formed a quartet, the Williams Brothers, in the late 1930s. The brothers performed on radio in the Midwest, first at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, and later at WLS in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati. Williams graduated from Western Hills High School in Cincinnati. They appeared with Bing Crosby on the hit record "Swinging on a Star" (1944). This led to a nightclub act with entertainer Kay Thompson from 1947 to 1951.
Williams's solo career began in 1952 after his brothers left the act. He recorded six sides for RCA's label "X," but none of them were popular hits. After landing a spot as a regular on Steve Allen's Tonight Show in 1955, he was signed to a recording contract with Cadence Records, a small label in New York run by conductor Archie Bleyer. His third single, "Canadian Sunset" (1956) hit the Top Ten, and was soon followed his only Billboard #1 hit, "Butterfly" (a cover of a Charlie Gracie record on which Williams imitated Elvis Presley). More hits followed, including "The Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Are You Sincere," "The Village of St. Bernadette," and "Lonely Street," before Williams moved to Columbia Records in 1961, having moved from New York to Los Angeles. In terms of chart popularity, the Cadence era was Williams's peak although songs he introduced on Columbia became much bigger standards. Two top ten hits from the Cadence era, "Butterfly" and "I Like Your Kind of Love" were apparently believed to not suit Williams's later style; they were not included on a Columbia reissue of his Cadence greatest hits in the 1960s.
During the 1960s, Williams became one of the most popular vocalists in the country and signed what was to that time the biggest recording contract in history. He was primarily an album artist, and at one time he had earned more gold albums than any solo performer except Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. By 1973 he had earned as many as 17 gold album awards. Among his hit albums from this period were Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses (number one for 16 weeks in mid-1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Dear Heart, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love, Andy, Get Together with Andy Williams, and Love Story. In these recordings Williams displays an incredible vocal technique along with an uncanny ability to make each song his very own, often rivaling or surpassing the version by the original artist. These attributes, along with his natural affinity for the music of the 1960s and early 1970s, combined to make him one of the premier easy listening singers of that era.
Williams forged an indirect collaborative relationship with Henry Mancini, although they never recorded together. Williams was asked to sing Mancini and Johnny Mercer's song "Moon River" at the 1962 Oscar Awards (where it won), and it quickly became Williams's theme song. This was repeated the next year with the pair's "Days of Wine and Roses" (which also won), Mancini's "Dear Heart" at the 1965 awards and "The Sweetheart Tree" (also written with Mercer) at the 1966 awards.
Williams also competed in the teenage-oriented singles market as well and had several charting hits including "Can't Get Used to Losing You," "Happy Heart," and "Where Do I Begin", the theme song from the 1970 blockbuster film, Love Story. Building on his experience with Allen and some short-term variety shows in the 1950s, he became the star of his own weekly television variety show in 1962. This series, The Andy Williams Show, won three Emmy Awards for outstanding variety program. Among his series regulars were the Osmond Brothers. He gave up the variety show in 1971 while it was still popular and retrenched to three specials per year. His Christmas specials, which appeared regularly until 1974 and intermittently from 1982 into the 1990s, were among the most popular of the genre. Williams has recorded eight Christmas albums over the years. He hosted the Grammy Awards for three consecutive years in the 1970s. He returned to television to do a syndicated half-hour series in 1976-77.
In the early 1990s, Williams gave up most of his touring schedule in order to open his own theatre in Branson, Missouri, the Andy Williams Moon River Theater. He continues to do 8 to 12 shows a week from September to December and occasionally makes tours of Europe earlier in the year.
His 1967 recording of "Music to Watch Girls By" was a surprise UK hit in 1999, when it reached number 9 after featuring in an advert (beating the original peak of number 33 in 1967). In 2002 he took part in a new duet of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" with British actress and singer Denise van Outen. Nearly everything Williams ever recorded has now been made available on CD through a series of compilations from 1997 to 2004.
Williams met Claudine Longet when he pulled over to aid her on a Las Vegas road. She was a dancer at the time at the Folies Bergere. They married on Christmas Day, 1961, and had three children, Noelle, Christian, and Robert. They separated in 1969 and finally divorced 6 years later. In 1976 Longet was charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, skier Vladimir "Spider" Sabich and Williams supported her. He married a second time in May 1991 to the former Debbie Haas. They make their homes at Branson, Missouri and La Quinta, California. Williams' homes have been featured in Architectural Digest, and he is a noted collector of modern art. Williams is an avid golfer. He hosted a major golf tournament in San Diego for many years, which was known as the Andy Williams San Diego Open during that time.
Williams' birthplace is a tourist attraction open most of the year.
Danny Boy
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen
And down the mountainside
The summer's gone
And all the roses falling
It's you, it's you must go
And I must bide
But come ye back when
Summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed
And white with snow
It's I'll be here in
Sunshine or in shadow
Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy
I love you so
Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy
I love you so
Danny Boy is a touching and melancholy song that tells the story of a love that is bound to end. The lyrics begin by describing the pipes calling from glen to glen and down the mountainside. This is a reference to the traditional Irish uilleann pipes, which were often played in the hills and glens of the Irish countryside. The pipes are calling out to Danny boy, summoning him to come and listen to the music.
As the song progresses, we learn that summer has ended and the roses have fallen. Danny boy is being called away, and the singer must stay behind. But she promises to wait for him, and asks that he return when summer is in the meadow or when the valley is hushed and white with snow. She'll be there for him no matter what, in sunshine or in shadow, because she loves him so deeply.
The melody of Danny Boy is haunting and wistful, and its lyrics have resonated with listeners for decades. Many believe that the song was written as a tribute to a lost love, while others see it as a celebration of the Irish spirit. Whatever the interpretation, Danny Boy remains a beloved classic of the folk music genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Danny boy
The song is directed towards someone named Danny Boy.
The pipes, the pipes are calling
Bagpipes can be heard in the distance, indicating it is time to leave.
From glen to glen
The sound of the bagpipes echoes throughout the countryside.
And down the mountainside
The sound of the bagpipes can be heard from high up in the mountains.
The summer's gone
Summer has ended.
And all the roses falling
The flowers are dying.
It's you, it's you must go
Danny Boy must leave.
And I must bide
The artist must stay behind.
But come ye back when
Return in the following circumstances:
Summer's in the meadow
When the meadow is green and full of life in summer.
Or when the valley's hushed
When the valley is silent and peaceful.
And white with snow
When everything is covered in white snow.
It's I'll be here in
The singer will be in the following states:
Sunshine or in shadow
Whether it is sunny or dark, the singer will be present.
Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy
The refrain of the song reiterates the address to Danny Boy.
I love you so
The artist loves Danny Boy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Frederick E. Weatherly, Yoyo Roehm
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind