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.
The Village of St. Bernadette
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've traveled far, the land and the sea
Beautiful places I happened to be
One little town I'll never forget
Is Lourdes, the village of Saint Bernadette
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
There, like a dream, this wonderful night
I gazed at the grotto aglow in the light
A feeling divine swept over me there
I fell to my knees as I whispered the prayer
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Now I am home, I'm happy to be
Telling of places I've traveled to see
One little town I'll never forget
Is Lourdes, the village of Saint Bernadette
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
The Village of St. Bernadette by Andy Williams is a beautiful ballad about the singer's visit to the town of Lourdes, France. He speaks about his travels, the beautiful sights he's seen, but none can compare to Lourdes, where the grotto stands, a place of worship and devotion to Saint Bernadette. The town is famous for its religious significance, as it is the site where the Virgin Mary appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. The song speaks of the transformative effect of being in the presence of such a sacred place, with lyrics like "A feeling divine swept over me there", "I fell to my knees as I whispered the prayer", and "Now I am home, I'm happy to be telling of places I've traveled to see".
The main focus of the song is the chorus, which is a repetition of "Ave, ave, ave Maria", a Latin phrase which means "Hail, Mary". It is a reference to the Catholic prayer of the same name, in which the faithful offer praise and reverence to the Virgin Mary. The use of the phrase in the song reinforces the importance of the town of Lourdes as a center of Catholic devotion.
Overall, The Village of St. Bernadette is a moving tribute to the spiritual significance of Lourdes and the enduring power of faith in the face of adversity. The lyrics and melody work together to create a sense of awe and wonder, capturing the mystical atmosphere of the town and inspiring listeners to consider the power of religious devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah
I am about to share a meaningful experience.
I've traveled far, the land and the sea
I have traveled to many beautiful places on this Earth.
Beautiful places I happened to be
I have visited many places of beauty unintentionally.
One little town I'll never forget
There is one specific town that holds a special place in my heart.
Is Lourdes, the village of Saint Bernadette
That town is Lourdes, known as the home of Saint Bernadette.
Ave, ave, ave Maria
I am honoring Mary with the traditional prayer.
There, like a dream, this wonderful night
On one special night, I witnessed something surreal.
I gazed at the grotto aglow in the light
I saw the grotto glowing with an ethereal light.
A feeling divine swept over me there
I experienced an overwhelming, spiritual sensation.
I fell to my knees as I whispered the prayer
I was so moved that I dropped to my knees and prayed.
Now I am home, I'm happy to be
I am content to be back at home after my travels.
Telling of places I've traveled to see
I enjoy sharing stories of the places I have been.
Ave, ave, ave Maria
I am still honoring Mary with the traditional prayer.
Ave, ave, ave Maria
I continue to honor Mary with the prayer.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EULA PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sister Veronica Young
So very beautiful!! I'll never, ever forget the privilege of going on pilgrimage to Lourdes in late May of 2019. During the torchlight procession we would sing "Ave, Ave, Ave Maria..." and it would bring tears to my eyes. It still does, and did again just now.
John Muir
What a lovely and moving experience you had, being able to go to Lourdes. Ave Maria is a truly a beautiful song. Thank you for sharing
Keith Nutt
I dare you not to cry during this beautiful beautiful song!!!
John Howard
Hear hear sir π
skindemus
Keith, you are so right - I have the album and have cried with this song since 1969!!
Michael O'Brien
70years old and this song still gives me goosebumps, RIP big man, missed by the world, God bless.
George Kitchen
I'm 43. I've been listening to this for years. I imagine I will at 70 as well.
Helen Kitson
This was played In my Dads funeral,Its very touching
John Muir
I loved his Christmas show, there was always so much joy and sincere happiness, and he had a way of including every person in his programs .. such a fine soul, thank you for your words.
Anthony Palmisano
Beautiful! I have the 45. Beautiful voice. Rest in Peace Andy Williams.