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.
Medley: Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Happy holiday
While the merry bells keep ringing
Happy holiday to you
It's the holiday season
And Santa Claus is coming back
The christmas snow is white on the ground
He'll be coming down the chimney, down
Coming down the chimney, down
It's the holiday season
And Santa Claus has got a toy
For every good girl and good little boy
Santa's a great big bundle of joy
When he's coming down the chimney, down
He'll have a big fat pack upon his back
And lots of goodies for you and for me
So leave a peppermint stick for old St. Nick
Hanging on the Christmas tree
It's the holiday season
So whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don't forget to hang up your sock
'Cause just exactly at twelve o'clock
He'll be coming down the chimney, down
He'll have a big fat pack upon his back
And lots of goodies for you and for me
So leave a peppermint stick for old St. Nick
Hanging on the Christmas tree
It's the holiday season
So whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don't forget to hang up your sock
'Cause just exactly at twelve o'clock
He'll be coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney, down
Happy holiday
Happy holiday
While the merry bells keep ringing
Happy holidays to you
The song, "Medley: Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season" by Andy Williams is a festive Christmas tune that portrays the excitement and joyous moments that come with the holiday season. The lyrics go beyond a regular holiday song by conveying a tale of Santa Claus coming down the chimney with lots of goodies to give out to every good girl and boy. It presents an exciting time where happiness and celebration fill the air with merry bells ringing.
The opening lines of the song, "Happy holiday, Happy holiday, while the merry bells keep ringing, Happy holiday to you," sets the ambiance for the entire song, evoking a sense of joy, celebration and positive energy. The songwriter did a fantastic job of setting the tone and infusing the song with a happy-go-lucky feel that gets the listener in the Christmas spirit.
As the song progresses, the lyrics take a shift towards a more symbolic aspect of Christmas, as the singer talks about Santa Claus coming down the chimney with a big sack on his back filled with goodies for every good girl and boy. The lyrics, "It's the holiday season, and Santa Claus has got a toy for every good girl and good little boy. Santa's a great big bundle of joy," depict the excitement felt by everyone during this festive season. The song concludes with a reminder to everyone to hang up their Christmas socks so that Santa can come down the chimney with lots of presents for everyone at exactly twelve o'clock.
Overall, "Medley: Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season" by Andy Williams is an iconic Christmas song that inspires joy and excitement during the holiday season. Its catchy tune and message of goodwill make it a must-have on any Christmas playlist.
Line by Line Meaning
Happy holiday
Wishing you a joyful holiday season
Happy holiday
May your holiday season be filled with happiness and cheer
While the merry bells keep ringing
In the background of holiday time, the sound of ringing bells is heard, bringing joy and excitement
Happy holiday to you
Wishing you personally a happy and fulfilling holiday season
It's the holiday season
The festive period has arrived, bringing excitement and anticipation
And Santa Claus is coming back
The beloved figure of Santa Claus is returning, bringing joy and gifts
The Christmas snow is white on the ground
The world has transformed into a snowy winter wonderland, creating a magical atmosphere
When old Santa gets into town
With the arrival of Santa, the spirit of Christmas has truly arrived
He'll be coming down the chimney, down
The classic image of Santa coming down the chimney is a symbol of his arrival
And Santa Claus has got a toy
Santa has something special for each child, delivering joy and happiness
For every good girl and good little boy
Regardless of gender, Santa has something for all those who have been good this year
Santa's a great big bundle of joy
Santa brings excitement and happiness to all those who believe in him
He'll have a big fat pack upon his back
With so many goodies to distribute, Santa's pack is overflowing with gifts
And lots of goodies for you and for me
Everyone has something special waiting for them on Christmas morning
So leave a peppermint stick for old St. Nick
A little treat for Santa is a simple way to show appreciation for all he does
Hanging on the Christmas tree
A hung peppermint stick represents the magic of Christmas and the anticipation of Santa's arrival
So whoop-de-do and hickory dock
Let's celebrate with enthusiasm and joy
And don't forget to hang up your sock
A festive tradition where children hang up their stockings, hoping for little presents from Santa
'Cause just exactly at twelve o'clock
The magic of Christmas comes alive at the stroke of midnight
He'll be coming down the chimney
The beloved image of Santa Claus descending down the chimney is an iconic symbol of Christmas
Coming down the chimney
Santa has arrived and the holiday season has officially begun
Coming down the chimney, down
The jolly figure of Santa Claus has arrived, completing the magic of Christmas
Happy holidays
Wishing you a joyful and celebratory holiday season
Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.