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.
On the Street Where You Live
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before
All at once am I several stories high?
Knowing I'm on the street where you live
Are there lilac trees in the heart of town?
Can you hear a lark in any other part of town?
Does enchantment pour out of every door?
And oh, the towering feeling
Just to know somehow you are near
The overpowering feeling
That any second you may suddenly appear
People stop and stare, they don't bother me
For there's nowhere else on earth that I would rather be
Let the time go by, I won't care
If I can be here on the street where you live
The lyrics of "On the Street Where You Live" by Andy Williams suggest that the singer is infatuated with someone who lives on a particular street in town. The singer says that he has walked on this street before, but it never felt as though he was floating several stories high until now. He wonders if the street is special or if he is just under the enchantment of the person he longs for. The song describes the overwhelming feeling of being near someone who holds a significant place in one’s heart. The singer experiences a sense of nearness and wants to revel in it for as long as possible.
The singer asks if there are lilac trees or if one can hear a lark in any other part of town. He wonders if there is a magical aura in the air and if enchantment pours out of every door. He acknowledges that it is not the street itself that makes it so special but the fact that the person he loves lives on it. The lyrics reveal the singer’s passion and his desire to spend all his time on this street, in the hopes that the person he admires might suddenly appear.
The song conveys a powerful message about feeling connected to someone special. The lyrics capture the feeling of deep affection and infatuation, as well as the desire to be near someone who is loved. The song is a romantic ballad that has become a timeless classic. Its popularity has endured for generations, and it continues to be a favorite among fans of romantic music.
Line by Line Meaning
I have often walked down this street before
I am familiar with this place and have walked here many times in the past
But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before
However, I've always remained on the ground level of the street when I walked here previously
All at once am I several stories high?
Suddenly, I feel like I'm elevated many levels above the street
Knowing I'm on the street where you live
This feeling is brought about by the realization that I'm on the same street where you reside
Are there lilac trees in the heart of town?
I wonder if there are any lilac trees in the center of the town
Can you hear a lark in any other part of town?
Can you hear the beautiful sound of a lark bird singing in any other part of town?
Does enchantment pour out of every door?
Is there some sort of captivating magic that comes out of the door of every building around here?
No, it's just on the street where you live
But I'm fairly certain that the feeling of enchantment is limited only to this specific street
And oh, the towering feeling
I experience a sense of awe and grandeur
Just to know somehow you are near
This feeling is due to the fact that I sense your presence nearby
The overpowering feeling
I'm overcome with a powerful emotion
That any second you may suddenly appear
It's possible that you might make an appearance at any given time, and this fills me with excitement
People stop and stare, they don't bother me
Even if people notice me standing here or walking around, I don't care or feel bothered by their attention
For there's nowhere else on earth that I would rather be
There's no other place on this planet where I'd rather be than standing on this street
Let the time go by, I won't care
Time can pass by as much as it wants and I won't mind
If I can be here on the street where you live
As long as I get to stay on this street where you reside, I'm happy and content
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dreasbn
goosebumps all over when he starts to sing... that voice that texture is incredible...
@nashvilletv
Andy Williams was absolutely in the very top echelon of world-class vocalists.
@mojavedesertsonorandesert9531
🥂🎙️🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
@kevinscrivano1904
I couldn’t have said that better myself
@louisvaccaro5865
and andy was incredable man, he was very special!. rest in peace andy, you are sorely missed. Louie Vaccaro, las vegas
@petermihacerar1137
@@louisvaccaro5865
Incredible he was indeed!
Plus loyal!
@pjeng1
Andy William is such a great singer and this song version from him in 1964 left me speechless.
@elfowl6873
His voice is a national treasure!!!! WONDERFUL.
@--ag
His voice was so under appreciated. It's so pure to me ❤
@audiophilenick
There is no other Moon River king other then Andy. His voice is pure magic, he adds his own style to all. RIP