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.
Help Me
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shake it loose and let it fall
Layin' soft upon my skin
Like the shadows on the wall
Come and lay down by my side
Till the early mornin' light
All I'm takin' is your time
I don't care who's right or wrong
I don't try to understand
Let the devil take tomorrow
Lord tonight I need a friend
Yesterday is dead and gone
And tomorrow's out of sight
And it's sad to be alone
"Help Me" by Andy Williams is a classic love ballad that speaks to the emotions of needing and wanting someone in the dead of the night. The first stanza of the song is all about shedding inhibitions and letting the moment consume them. The line "take the ribbon from your hair, shake it loose and let it fall" is symbolic for taking a step away from the everyday world and finding solace in being together. The image of the ribbon falling "laying soft upon my skin like the shadows on the wall" as a metaphor for the intimacy and closeness they share.
In the second stanza, the singer continues to express their emotional longing for their partner, they are looking for comfort and assurance as they navigate their complicated emotions. The lines “I don’t care who’s right or wrong, I don’t try to understand. Let the devil take tomorrow, Lord tonight I need a friend” are a plea to their lover to only focus on the present, recognizing that their relationship can sustain them through any uncertainty. The chorus brings the whole message of the song together as the singer desperately pleads for their partner’s support, "Help me make it through the night".
Overall, the song is a testament to the power and comfort of love in difficult times. It speaks to the heart of those who are looking for a friend and a companion to navigate the struggles of life. It's an emotional journey that any listener can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the ribbon from your hair
I want you to take off any adornments you have, particularly the ribbon in your hair.
Shake it loose and let it fall
Remove the ribbon from your hair and shake out your hair to let it fall free.
Layin' soft upon my skin
Your hair feels soft and delicate on my skin as it brushes against me.
Like the shadows on the wall
Just like the shadows on the wall, this interaction will pass and be forgotten.
Come and lay down by my side
Come lie next to me and be close.
Till the early mornin' light
Stay with me until early morning when the sun rises.
All I'm takin' is your time
I'm not asking for anything else, just your time for the night.
Help me make it through the night
I need your company to help me get through the night, both physically and emotionally.
I don't care who's right or wrong
Any disagreements or conflicts we have, I am indifferent to the outcome or resolution.
I don't try to understand
I'm not trying to comprehend or analyze the situation, I just want to be with you.
Let the devil take tomorrow
I'm not worried about what tomorrow might bring, let it take care of itself.
Lord tonight I need a friend
Right now, I need somebody to talk to and be with, someone to share the night with.
Yesterday is dead and gone
The past is over and done with, nothing can be changed about it now.
And tomorrow's out of sight
The future is not clear or visible, so I'm living in the present and focused on tonight.
And it's sad to be alone
Being alone feels sorrowful and melancholic, which is why I need your presence and company.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind