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.
CanΒt Get Used To Losing You
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess I'll get dressed and do the town
I'll find some crowded avenue
Though it will be empty without you
Can't get used to losin' you no matter what I try to do
Gonna live my whole life thorough loving you
After I heard her say hello
Couldn't think of anything to say
Since you're gone it happens every day
Can't get used to losin' you no matter what I try to do
Gonna live my whole life through, loving you
I'll find somebody, wait and see
Who am I kiddin', only me
'Cause no one else could take your place
Guess that I am just a hopeless case
Can't get used to losin' you no matter what I try to do
Gonna live my whole life thorough, loving you
I can't get used to losin' you no matter what I try to do
Gonna live my whole life thorough, loving you
The song "Can't Get Used To Losing You" by Andy Williams is a heartbreaking tune about a man who is struggling to cope with the end of a relationship. The first verse starts with a resigned acceptance that hanging around is pointless, so the singer will get dressed and head out on the town. However, the crowded avenue that he would typically seek comfort from feels empty and hollow now that his lover is gone. The harsh truth is that he can't seem to adjust to the idea of being without her, and no matter what he tries, he can't get over her.
In the second verse, the singer tries to force some social interaction by calling up an old flame, but he can't think of anything to say since his mind is preoccupied with thoughts of his latest ex. The chorus is a repeated refrain of how the singer just can't get used to losing her, and how he'll spend his entire life still loving her. Andy Williams pleads with his lost love that he'll search for someone else, but in reality, deep down, he knows it's a hopeless case. In the end, the song's ultimate message is that losing someone we care for deeply is a bitter pill to swallow.
Line by Line Meaning
Guess there's no use in hangin' 'round
I realize there's no point in waiting for you anymore
Guess I'll get dressed and do the town
I'll try to distract myself from my sadness by going out
I'll find some crowded avenue
I'll search for a busy place to blend in and forget you
Though it will be empty without you
But it won't be the same without you by my side
Can't get used to losin' you no matter what I try to do
I can't accept the idea of losing you even if I put effort into it
Gonna live my whole life thorough loving you
My love for you will never fade away and I'll always cherish you
Called up some girl I used to know
I contacted an old acquaintance to fill the void you left
After I heard her say hello
But as soon as she spoke, I realized she's not you
Couldn't think of anything to say
I couldn't find any words to continue the conversation
Since you're gone it happens every day
Ever since you left me, I feel like this every day
I'll find somebody, wait and see
I'll try to move on and find someone else, eventually
Who am I kiddin', only me
But deep down, I know that no one can replace you
Cause no one else could take your place
You're unique and irreplaceable to me
Guess that I am just a hopeless case
I'm starting to think that I'll never get over you
Lyrics Β© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOC POMUS, MORT SHUMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@the_epicringneckparrot
Anybody listening in 2024?
Or am I alone?
@timbo5165
Listening in 2021
@kenvelickoff4275
Not at all, solidly placed in my song list forever, Andy rocking it
@the_epicringneckparrot
@@kenvelickoff4275 Yeah!!!
@whatwouldiknow1759
Why are you lonely?
@the_epicringneckparrot
@@whatwouldiknow1759 Idk
@Irene-qe5hu
I'm still listening to Andy and it's 2023...who is with me ? ππππΌββοΈβ€π¬π§
@caduceus4496
Thank you. What a nostalgic clip! Amidst the upheaval of the 1960's Andy Willliams was loved world-wide for his beautiful singing voice and most outstanding personality. May perpetual light shine upon him.
@johnmurphy5064
On November 22, 1963, my mother had the radio on and this song was playing when it stopped suddenly and she then heard the first report of shots being fired at President Kennedyβs motorcade in downtown Dallas, Texas.
@brianherrington7226
Our world would never be the same. These tunes we heard on the radio in the early 1960s had the air of innocence of the times. When I listen to them now I remember with fondness yet sadness at what we lost and would start to lose personally as the years rolled forward.