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.
Spanish Harlem
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
It is a special one, it's never seen the sun
It only comes out when the moon is on the run
And all the stars are gleaming
It's growing in the street right up through the concrete
But soft and sweet and dreaming
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
With eyes as black as coal that look down in my soul
And starts a fire there and then I lose control
I have to beg your pardon
I'm going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden
I'm going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden
(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)
La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la-la
(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)
La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la-la
(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)
The lyrics to Andy Williams's "Spanish Harlem" describe a very special and unique rose growing in the rough streets of Spanish Harlem. The rose is symbolic of something beautiful growing in amidst the harshness of reality. The rose is so special that it has never seen the sun and only blooms at night when the moon is out. The imagery created by the lyrics suggests that this rose is not like any other, it is something rare and captivating.
The second verse goes on to describe the power that this special rose has over the singer. The rose's eyes are described as being "as black as coal" and they "look down in my soul". This imagery suggests that the rose has a hypnotizing effect on the singer that takes him over completely. The rose "starts a fire" in his soul and he "loses control". The singer then expresses his desire to pick the rose and transplant it to a place where he can watch it grow in his garden. This expresses the idea of wanting to capture something beautiful and rare, and keep it close to oneself.
Overall, the lyrics to "Spanish Harlem" tell a story of something rare and beautiful growing in a place where one might not expect it. The rose is symbolic of the power of beauty to transcend harsh circumstances and the desire to hold on to that beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a rose in Spanish Harlem
In the midst of the bustling neighborhood of Spanish Harlem, there exists a beautiful rose.
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
The rose in Spanish Harlem is bold and red in color, and it stands out among its surroundings.
It is a special one, it's never seen the sun
This rose is unique, as it has not been exposed to the sun and its beauty remains undiscovered by many.
It only comes out when the moon is on the run
This rose blooms at night, under the light of the moon.
And all the stars are gleaming
The shining stars in the night sky add to the beauty and radiance of the rose.
It's growing in the street right up through the concrete
Despite being surrounded by a harsh and unforgiving material, the rose still thrives and grows.
But soft and sweet and dreaming
Although it endures difficult conditions, the rose remains delicate, soothing, and in a dreamlike state.
With eyes as black as coal that look down in my soul
The black eyes of the rose seem to gaze into the artist's soul, revealing deep emotions.
And starts a fire there and then I lose control
The passion ignited within the artist's soul by the rose causes them to lose control of their emotions.
I have to beg your pardon
The artist must apologize for their sudden loss of control and intense emotions.
I'm going to pick that rose
The singer is determined to possess the alluring and beautiful rose.
And watch her as she grows in my garden
The artist plans to nurture and care for the rose, and watch it continue to bloom in their own garden.
(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)
The rose in Spanish Harlem remains as a beautiful and unique symbol, continuing to bring beauty to a bustling city.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kelly Mix
Beautifully done - recorded on the 1970 'Andy Williams Show' album released by Columbia Records. Andy Williams (1927 - 2012) was, bar none, the finest male singer of the last half of the 20th century - and here's evidence as to why!!!
Bill Brimmer
Let’s be honest, Andy could sing the phone book and make it sound great. The wonderful news is that he had this incredible tune to work with and, as always, knocked it out of the park.
Kelly Mix
Bill, you are so right - he was / is just a fantastic talent!!!
Peter Lau
Very good!
Bernie Mckenna
The man
Полина Малюгина
Who is from 2021?