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.
Dear Heart
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My dear heart, seems like a year since you've been out of my sight
A single room, a table for one
It's a lonesome town all right
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door
And dear heart I want you to know
I'll leave your arms never more
It's a lonesome town all right
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door
And dear heart I want you to know
I'll leave your arms never more
The above lyrics are from the song "Dear Heart" by Andy Williams. The song is a reflection of the feelings of a person who is missing their beloved, and is reminiscing about the good times spent together. The song starts with the singer expressing his yearning for his sweetheart, wishing that she was there to warm his lonely night. The singer is stuck in a single room with just a table for one, and everything around him seems dull and lonely. However, the singer is hopeful and is waiting for the time when he will be reunited with his beloved. He anticipates the moment when he will be able to kiss her on their front door, and he assures her that he will never leave her arms again.
The song captures the emotions of anyone who has been separated from their loved ones and is a beautiful reminder of the joy of being in love. The song was written by Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, and Jay Livingston and was initially intended to be used as the title track for the 1964 movie "Dear Heart." But the song became so popular that it won an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and Andy Williams' version became a hit. The song's success made Andy Williams one of the most prominent pop singers of the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear heart wish you were here to warm this night
My love, I yearn for your presence to comfort me in this lonely night
My dear heart, seems like a year since you've been out of my sight
It's been an agonizingly long time since I last saw you, my beloved
A single room, a table for one
I am alone in this room, with only a table set for myself
It's a lonesome town all right
This place is desolately empty and isolating
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door
But soon, I will finally see you again and embrace you at our doorstep
And dear heart I want you to know
My love, I want you to understand
I'll leave your arms never more
That I will never leave you again once I am in your loving embrace
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Henry N. Mancini, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marcos Elias
Lyrics translated to Brazilian Portuguese
QUERIDO CORAÇÃO
Querido coração queria que você estivesse aqui
Para aquecer esta noite
Meu querido coração, é como se fizesse um ano
Que você está ausente
Um quarto de solteiro, uma mesa para um
É uma cidade de solitários, está bem
Mas em breve eu vou te beijar dizendo olá
Em frente à nossa porta
E, querido coração, eu quero que você saiba
Não vou deixar seus braços nunca mais
(Um quarto de solteiro, uma mesa para um
É uma cidade de solitários, está bem)
Mas em breve eu vou te beijar dizendo olá
Em frente à nossa porta
E, querido coração, eu quero que você saiba
Não vou deixar seus braços nunca mais...
Andy Liu
歌名：Dear Heart
歌手：Andy Williams - 安迪威廉斯
Dear heart 親愛的
Wish you were here to warm this night 願你在此溫暖這個夜晚
My dear heart 我親愛的
Seems like a year since you've been out of my sight 從你離開我的視線開始，好像已過了一年
A single room, a table for one 空湯湯的房間，一個人的餐桌
It's a lonesome town all right 真是個孤寂的小鎮啊
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door 但是，很快的我會在門口親吻你，問候你
And dear heart 親愛的
I want you to know 我希望你明白
I'll leave your arms never more 我不會再離開你的懷抱
A single room, a table for one 空湯湯的房間，一個人的餐桌
It's a lonesome town all right 真是個孤寂的小鎮啊
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door 但是，很快的我會在門口親吻你，問候你
And dear heart 親愛的
I want you to know 我希望你明白
I'll leave your arms never more 我不會再離開你的懷抱
Darin K.
Dear heart wish you were here to warm this night
My dear heart, seems like a year since you've been out of my sight
A single room, a table for one
It's a lonesome town all right
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door
And dear heart I want you to know
I'll leave your arms never more
It's a lonesome town all right
But soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door
And dear heart I want you to know
I'll leave your arms never more
Carol Boehm
My husband passed away December 17th 2020. This was our song. I had it played at his funeral and I intend to have it played at mine. We just love this song. 💖🙏
Angie Samborski
You have wonderful taste and must have shared a special love .I have always loved this song since I first heard it years ago when I was in my early teens .Beautiful song so romantic .Watching the movie right now .❤
X
Just a beautiful memory, God bless you
Laudan Taiby
Ever since I heard this song I hoped that it might be my wedding song one day. I'm only in my 30s but this song takes me back to a time I could only dream of being familiar with. I'm sure you and your husband made a beautiful pair 😇🥰
Hippie Dippie
How wonderful 😊
Bic Bradley
That's beautiful. You know he hasn't gone far. God Blessed you both.
ShadowHawk4219
Andy Williams was one of my ole' man's favorites, along with Al Martino, and Dean Martin. I grew up listening to these songs and they have stayed with me all these decades. It takes on more meaning as today, just a few hours ago, my 2 sisters, brother, and i went to his grave site to pay our respects. Love you Pop, you taught us well.😪💓.
Bruce Warninger
My parents loved so many of Andy Williams songs. This is one that I heard many times growing up. My mother passed in 2007 and when my father was in his final days in 2011 I played this song for him at the nursing home. He could not talk, but I know he could hear and know this song and I'm sure it gave a smile to his heart. "Soon I'll kiss you hello" He passed the next day and we played this song at his memorial service (there was not a dry eye). He will leave her arms never more. Thanks for posting. A song special to me evermore.
Cookie Spear
My parents and I had a common love for Andy Williams. Your posting is just beautiful, Bruce. Thank you for sharing!
Gail Valdemar
My parents too loved Andy Williams ♥️. Your story brought me to tears.