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.
Where Do I Begin?
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start
With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart
She fills my heart with very special things
With angels' songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That anywhere I go I'm never lonely
With her around, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand, it's always there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I'll need her 'til the stars all burn away
And she'll be there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I'll need her 'til the stars all burn away
And she'll be there
The lyrics to Andy Williams's song Where Do I Begin tell the story of a great love that is older than the sea. The singer struggles to find the words to describe the depth of his love for the woman who has come into his life and filled it with meaning. He begins with her first hello, which gave new meaning to his empty world. He describes her as a love unlike any other, one that fills his heart with special things and his soul with so much love that he is never lonely. He reaches for her hand and finds it's always there, a comforting presence in his life.
The singer wonders about the longevity of this love and whether it can be measured by the hours in a day. He doesn't have the answers but knows that he will need her until the stars all burn away. She is a constant presence in his life, one that brings joy and meaning to every moment. The lyrics paint a picture of a love that is pure and enduring, one that transcends time and space.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was originally titled "Love Story". The lyrics were written by Carl Sigman and the music by Francis Lai for the soundtrack of the 1970 film "Love Story". The film was a huge box office success and the song became an instant hit, winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do I begin
How do I even start to describe this feeling?
To tell the story of how great a love can be
To share the depth of emotions that love can bring
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
A love that's lasted the test of time
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
The honest reality of how she's changed my life for the better
Where do I start
I honestly don't know where to begin
With her first hello
From the first moment we met
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
Her presence filled a void I didn't even realize I had
There'll never be another love, another time
Our love is unique and can never be replicated
She came into my life and made the living fine
Her presence made my life worth living
She fills my heart
She brings so much joy and love to my life
She fills my heart with very special things
She brings such unique and meaningful experiences to our relationship
With angels' songs, with wild imaginings
From moments of pure beauty to wild passions
She fills my soul with so much love
Not just my heart, but my very soul is overflowing with love for her
That anywhere I go I'm never lonely
Knowing she's with me, I never feel alone
With her around, who could be lonely
Her presence is the antidote to loneliness
I reach for her hand, it's always there
Just by my side, reassuring me with her touch
How long does it last?
How can I know how long this love will endure?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day?
Can we quantify or measure love?
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I don't know the answer, but I know this
I know I'll need her till the stars all burn away
Our love will last until the end of time
And she'll be there
She will always be there for me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carl Sigman, Francis Lai
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ManiSuri123
My wife just passed away, end of April. This song came to mind. It's been playing in my head constantly. I play it on repeat on Youtube. We would have been married 32 years by end of May but knew each other 6 years before we tied the knot. So many memories. So much joy. She went into the hospital the day after her 65th birthday, came home for a week, then shuttled between hospitals, the board and care, ERs, and, eventually, to the mortuary. I'm immeasurably thankful for all the years of joy with which she enriched my life, as well as the two sons she gave us.
@minhchaubuingoc8384
You'll see her again in heaven sir. Be sure of that
@bartvandergracht8019
this is an incredibly powerful comment. Hope you are ok
@johnwong8336
@Minh Chau Bui Ngoc really ?? R u sure there is heaven?🤔🤔
@minhchaubuingoc8384
@John Wong as sure as the fact that the sun rises in the east
@johnwong8336
@Minh Chau Bui Ngoc why are tghere wars n innocents people killed everywhere??
@sallycano5389
Lost my husband too ,Dec 2021.
This song is our favorite.And till now ,I don't know how to move on .
I really miss him so much,I Love you Papa in heaven.
@user-go1ku7mr6q
תהייה חזקה ❤
@bkin10secs
The scene, my dad sitting on the floor choosing and playing records (45 rpm's), with me, my two brothers and mom all sitting around listening and singing to each record he would play. Then he would play this song, he would then stand up reach for my mothers hand to dance with her and sang oh so softly in her ear. Me and my brothers all looking at each other making silly faces and thinking to ourselves how corney is that. I am 62 years old and I am so grateful to have lived during that time and what I wouldn't give to be in that room with my bros and watching mom and dad dancing to this song again. Love you mom love you dad and love my bros.
@shalianashaliana554
Lost my beloved husband on 17/5/2023...how I missed him so much. This song reminds me of him...