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.
I Won't Last a Day Without You
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I don't belong, I'm not that strong
It's nice to know that there's someone I can turn to
Who will always care, you're always there
When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
So many times when the city seems to be
Without a friendly face, a lonely place
It's nice to know that you'll be there if I need you
And you'll always smile, it's all worthwhile
When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
But I won't last a day without you
Touch me and I end up singing
Trouble seems to up and disappear
You touch me with the love you're bringing
I can't really lose when you're near
When you're near, my love
If all my friends have forgotten half their promises They're not unkind, just
Hard to find
One look at you and I know
That I could learn to live without the rest
I've found the best
When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
But I won't last a day without you
When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
But I won't last a day without you
The song "I Won't Last a Day Without You" by Andy Williams is a heartfelt ballad about the importance of a significant other in one's life. The lyrics convey the feelings of vulnerability, loneliness, and the need for someone to lean on when facing the challenges of life. The singer describes how daily life can be tough, facing strangers every day, feeling weak and misplaced. He finds solace in knowing that his love interest will always care, and he turns to them when he feels lost.
The lyrics also imply that there are dreams and hopes that are difficult to achieve, and life can be maddeningly hard, but the presence of the significant other helps him get through these difficult moments. They bring joy, hope, and comfort, touch him with their love, and make him feel as though nothing else matters when they are around. The singer has perhaps been betrayed by friends or other people in his life, but he feels like he has found the best in his love interest, and that they are worth living for.
Overall, "I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song that touches on the universal themes of love, companionship, and the importance of human connection. The lyrics convey the desire for a deep, meaningful relationship, and the need for someone to share in the ups and downs of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Day after day, I must face a world of strangers
Every day is a daunting task as I have to interact with people I don't know.
Where I don't belong, I'm not that strong
I feel like I don't fit in and I'm not capable enough to deal with the difficulties.
It's nice to know that there's someone I can turn to
Having faith that there's someone who can be relied upon provides solace.
Who will always care, you're always there
That someone's presence gives assurance that they'll care regardless of the situation.
When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When things seem bleak and unattainable.
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
Even the simplest of dreams seem out of reach.
I can take all the madness the world has to give
I can endure anything that life throws at me.
But I won't last a day without you
But I cannot survive a single day without the support of that special person.
So many times when the city seems to be
Often, it seems like there's no friendly person in the entire city.
Without a friendly face, a lonely place
The world appears cold and isolated without the presence of a kind soul.
It's nice to know that you'll be there if I need you
Knowing that there's someone who will be present if there's a need is a relief.
And you'll always smile, it's all worthwhile
The mere smile on that person's face makes it all worthwhile.
Touch me and I end up singing
Your touch makes me feel joy and happiness.
Trouble seems to up and disappear
Whenever you're around, it seems like all problems fading away instantly.
You touch me with the love you're bringing
Your love has a magical effect on me.
I can't really lose when you're near
I feel like a winner when I have you nearby.
If all my friends have forgotten half their promises
Sometimes, friends forget their promises, but it's not necessarily an act of malice.
They're not unkind, just hard to find
They are not rude, but it's challenging to locate the right type of friends.
One look at you and I know
The mere sight of you tells me.
That I could learn to live without the rest
You're the one for me, and I could do without anyone else.
I've found the best
I've found the best person.
When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When life seems too difficult and unattainable.
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
Even my simplest dreams seem unfeasible.
I can take all the madness the world has to give
I can withstand anything that life has in store for me.
But I won't last a day without you
But I cannot endure even for a day without your love and support.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul H Williams, Roger S Nichols
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@crisesparza6964
Que canción tan bella!!!🎻🎸🎤🌺🌺
@soniamissono7751
Estou totalmente apaixonada por essa música. Andy Williams deu um show!!!
@mattbarber
Both Andy Williams and Karen Carpenter had voices that could reach the deepest part of your heart.
@patryan4015
I was 11 when I fell in love with Andy Williams. That was 60yrs ago. I still love his voice and his music. There is no one who sings the way he did. Thank God for You Tube where I can relive all the moments he gave us.
@jackiemurphy1444
Grew up watching his shows on tv love his music beautiful voice ❤❤❤
@godfreyfiddes3709
Absolutely awesome sound by a music genius.
@annacottage4536
Andy Williams will always provoke the best of memories just listening to him, lovely man and a great, great singer. No longer here sadly but we can always hear him. Thank you for this. Anna.
@nykaorzola
recopilando canciones del album "the way we were".....y me doy cuenta que Andy nos dejó.....descase en paz allá donde esté. Se fué una gran voz que rememora mi infancia!.
@hayprofilms
Andy has put the brakes on my anxiety condition all my life and still does from the beyond via the YouTube immortality.
@jubalcalif9100
Wow ! What a lovely version of one of the most beautiful romantic ballads ever composed ! THANK YOU so much for sharing, Michael ! The smooth voice of the late great Andy Williams is sorely missed ! You've MADE my day & my week ! CHEERS, mate ! :-)