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.
My Carousel
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain
Oh, the dark days are done and the bright days are here
My sunny one shines so sincere
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet
You gave to me your all and all
Now I feel ten feet tall
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z
My life was torn like wind blown sand
Then a rock was formed when we held hands
Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face
Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace
You're my spark of nature's fire
You're my sweet complete desire
Sunny one so true, I love you
The lyrics of Andy Williams’s song "My Carousel" express gratitude and love to someone who has illuminated the life of the singer with their presence. The song begins by describing a time when the singer's life was filled with rain, suggesting that he was going through a difficult time. However, the person addressed as Sunny smiled at him, which in turn eased his pain. It's worth noting that the lyrics repeatedly use the word "sunny," which not only indicates the person's name but also signifies the joy and happiness they bring into the singer's life.
The second verse describes how Sunny has brought light and joy into the singer's life, implying that the challenging days are over, and the bright days are here to stay. The singer acknowledges Sunny's sincerity and true nature as they shine brightly in his life. The chorus proclaims the singer's deep love for Sunny, thanking her for being a shining star in his life. Her love and support have made him stronger, and he feels ten feet tall. The third verse highlights Sunny's wisdom, and how she has taught the singer new things in life, and brought clarity into his world. Her presence has been a rock for him during the times when he felt like he was blowing away in the wind. The final verse reiterates the singer's gratitude for Sunny's smile and continues to affirm his deep affection and love for her.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain
My life was dull, gloomy and sad, but since you came into it, it has become brighter.
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain
Your beautiful smile instantly lifted my spirits and made my pain go away.
Oh, the dark days are done and the bright days are here
The days of sadness and misery have passed and now it's time for happiness and sunshine.
My sunny one shines so sincere
You radiate your beautiful and sincere light that brightens up my life every day.
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
You are my true and only love, and I cherish you with all my heart.
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet
Thank you for bringing joy and happiness into my life, like a beautiful bouquet of sunshine.
Sunny, thank you for the love you've brought my way
Thank you for the love and affection you have shown me, it has brought me immense happiness and contentment.
You gave to me your all and all
You have given me your complete love, support, and devotion, and I am eternally grateful for that.
Now I feel ten feet tall
With your love and support, I feel strong and confident, like I can achieve anything.
Sunny one so true, I love you
You are my true love, and I love you with all my heart and soul.
Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see
Thank you for showing me the truth in life, and helping me become a better person.
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z
Thank you for teaching me everything, from the beginning to the end, and helping me learn and grow.
My life was torn like wind blown sand
My life was chaotic and unstable, like sand blowing in the wind.
Then a rock was formed when we held hands
But when we became close and held hands, we became strong and unbreakable, like a rock.
Sunny one so true, I love you
You are the only one for me, and I love you deeply and honestly.
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face
Your beautiful smile always brightens up my day, and I am forever grateful for that.
Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace
Thank you for shining like a bright star, and bringing grace and charm into my life.
You're my spark of nature's fire
You ignite a spark of passion and excitement within me, like the fire of nature.
You're my sweet complete desire
You are my all-encompassing desire, and I need you in my life to make me complete.
Sunny one so true, I love you
You are my truth, my love, and my everything, and I love you more than anything in this world.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNY RANKIN, YVONNE RANKIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind