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.
What Child Is This
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While Mary's man is sleeping
Whom angles greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch their king
Why lies he in such lowly place
While cows and sheep are feeding
Good christian fear for sinners here
[Chorus]
This is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angles sing
Hast hast to bring him praise
The baby son of Mary
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh
Come peasant King to owe him
The king of kings salvation bring
That loving hearts in throne
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Andy Williams's song "What Child Is This?" speak of the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable, surrounded by animals and shepherds. The song opens with the question "What child is this laid to rest," indicating that although the child is born in humble surroundings, there is something special about him. The angels greet the child with "anthems sweet," hinting at his divine nature. The second verse describes the poverty of Jesus's birthplace, again emphasizing the humble circumstances of his arrival on earth. The final verse encourages listeners to honor the child by bringing him offerings of incense, gold, and myrrh, acknowledging his role as the King of Kings and the savior of humanity.
At its core, "What Child Is This?" is a celebration of the Christian belief in the miracle of the nativity. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder and awe at the arrival of Jesus on earth, emphasizing the importance of this event in the spiritual history of humanity. The song has become a Christmas classic, traditionally performed during the holiday season to commemorate the birth of Christ and to inspire the faithful with a sense of hope and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
What child is this laid to rest
Who is this baby that is sleeping peacefully?
While Mary's man is sleeping
While Joseph, Mary's husband, is resting nearby
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
The angels sing sweet songs to welcome this child
While shepherds watch their King
The shepherds are watching over their new, holy King
Why lies he in such lowly place
Why is this important child resting in such a humble location?
While cows and sheep are feeding
Even though the animals are eating, the baby is still resting peacefully
Good Christian fear for sinners here
This child is here to save sinners, which causes Christians to feel reverent fear
A silent word is pleading
This child is pleading silently for our redemption
This is Christ the King
This baby is Jesus, the Savior and King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
The shepherds protect and adore the newborn King while the angels sing praise
Hast hast to bring him praise
Hurry, come and offer your praise to the newborn King
The baby son of Mary
This is the son of Mary, who was chosen to bear the Son of God
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh
Bring precious gifts to honor this holy King
Come peasant King to own Him
Even though He is born into humble circumstances, He is still a King worthy of our worship
The King of kings, salvation bring
Jesus is not only King, but the Savior who brings salvation to all
That loving hearts in throne
May our hearts be filled with love and worship for the One who sits on the throne
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BRYAN BENOIT, RICHARD C. BRAUN, DAVID S. KOZ, BRENDA GORDON RUSSELL, PETER HARRY WHITE, DP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind