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.
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't take my eyes off you
You'd be like heaven to touch
I want to hold you so much
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive
You're just too good to be true
Pardon the way that I stare
There's nothing else to compare
The sight of you leaves me weak
There are no words left to speak
But if you feel like I feel
Please let me know that it's real
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off you
I love you baby, and if it's quite alright
I need you baby to warm the lonely night
I love you baby
Trust in me when I say
Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray
Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay
And let me love you baby
Let me love you
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off you
You'd be like heaven to touch
I want to hold you so much
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off you
I love you baby, and if it's quite alright
I need you baby to warm the lonely night
I love you baby
Trust in me when I say
Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray
Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay
Oh pretty baby, trust in me when I say
Oh pretty baby
The lyrics to this classic love song are a tribute to the overwhelming feeling of love and adoration one can feel for another person. The singer can't take their eyes off of their love interest, because they are simply too good to be true. They describe their partner as someone who would feel like heaven to touch and someone they want to hold so much. The arrival of love in the singer's life has filled them with gratitude and the acknowledgement that they are lucky to be alive.
The second half of the song sees the singer pouring out their heart to their beloved, telling them that they love them and need them to warm the lonely nights. They ask for their trust in their feelings, inviting them to stay and promising to love them always. The song is a declaration of love, a celebration of the overwhelming emotion that comes when you find someone too good to be true.
Line by Line Meaning
You're just too good to be true
You are too amazing to be real
Can't take my eyes off you
I can't stop looking at you
You'd be like heaven to touch
Being close to you would feel like heaven
I want to hold you so much
I want to embrace you tightly
At long last love has arrived
Finally, love has come into my life
And I thank God I'm alive
I am grateful to be alive and experience this love
Pardon the way that I stare
Sorry for staring at you
There's nothing else to compare
Nothing else is as captivating as you
The sight of you leaves me weak
You leave me feeling powerless and weak
There are no words left to speak
I am speechless in your presence
But if you feel like I feel
If you feel the same way I do
Please let me know that it's real
Tell me that our love is genuine
I love you baby, and if it's quite alright
I love you, and if it's okay with you
I need you baby to warm the lonely night
I crave your presence to make my lonely nights bearable
Trust in me when I say
Believe me when I tell you
Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray
Please don't disappoint me
Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay
Now that we're together, please stay with me
Let me love you baby
Allow me to love you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Broma 16
Written by: Bob Crewe, Robert Gaudio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@louise809
I'm 12 years old and I'm in love with jazz songs tbh. This song is totally my style. Idk why but songs like these (old songs) that are slow and chill with a vibe makes me feel at ease and I can imagine so much things without even trying. Good work, Mr. Andy 😊
@wimzswimz9843
Oh My God! His song makes me want to dance so elegantly. I enjoy this song very much. 1960s music is such beautiful
@claraf2420
He just sings so clearly I can understand every single word. I love it!
@peterhutchins9246
What a superb singer Andy Williams was. One of the best voices in the history of popular music.
@mikehorton2591
This song brings tears of joy to my eyes every time I hear it. So many happy childhood memories captured in this quite beautiful song.
@patsy7101
I feel the dame as you, so many childhood memorias, such beautiful years 🎉🎉😅😅
@annacottage4536
Wonderful Andy Williams, that voice still sends shivers down my spine. Thanks so much. Anna.
@fremlinmartel8223
Hello Anna, How are you doing?
@anjou6497
Me too. Ignore that creepy comment. 👌🧡🎶
@cipullo7777
Imagine dancing to this song with the person you love...❤️