RIP: Andy Williams

[Mitchell H]

That just about leaves Tony Bennett as the only surviving
middle-of-the-road singer from the era that produced Sinatra,
Como, Tony Martin...and Andy Williams.

Actually, thanks to his successful dodging of the bullet in Goodfellas, Jerry Vale is still with us, as is Doris Day and Sue Rainey.

Add Patti Page, Johnny Mathis, Petula Clark, Connie Francis, Kay Starr, Joni James, Gogi Grant

And Jack Jones as well.

 

[Al Timiter]

Steve Lawrence. Last time I heard him he still had it.

 

[bpatrick]

And I suppose Steve's wife Eydie Gorme, is also in fine fettle.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

And I suppose Steve's wife Eydie Gorme, is also in fine fettle.

Eydie is still with us, but retired. According to Wikipedia, Steve L. still performs as a solo. Also shocked to read on Wik that Eydie is a cousin of Niel Sedaka.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

I read in my local paper this morning that Andy's biggest hit, "Moon River,"
almost didn't get released; the record company thought the lyrics would have
no appeal to teenagers.

It also noted that in 1956 and '57 Andy gave Elvis a run for his money at the
top of the charts, with a range of songs from the Sinatra-esque "Canadian Sunset"
to "Butterfly" ("Singin' The Blues" sideways).

As for Andy's Christmas specials, I miss those musical events each year (Bing Crosby,
Perry Como, etc.); unless a country-oriented singer (for example, Faith Hill) does one,
the genre is practically extinct. Even something's missing without Bob Hope around to
entertain the troops all over the world.

Didn't Fox have an American Idol "holiday" special?

 

[FRR]

I remember how Andy Williams stood by Longet when she killed her lover in Colorado in the mid 1970's. They had 3 children together and could not have been easy for him. I think he dated Ethel Kennedy for a while, or at least, was her "escort" to many functions. A good man and a big talent.

 

[cd637299]

In addition to "Butterfly," maybe his most "rockin" hit was "I Like Your Kind of Love" with Peggy Powers. Gotta be on YouTube; I have no access to it here. I only heard it on Joe Donovan's show on WHAS; never heard it otherwise (despite Top 10 status) either on oldies stations OR MOR.

cd

 

[EZway2go]

The aforementioned Jack Jones and Steve Lawrence... Yes, they're two good ones... probably closer to being contemporaries of Andy Williams than Sinatra or Como who may have had their peak periods a decade earlier. Another one in that group might be Bobby Vinton.

I only heard it on Joe Donovan's show on WHAS

Wow, that brings back good memories. Hard to believe it's been 15 years since his overnight show. You can listen to a 2009 interview with Joe here:

http://www.lkyradio.com/WHAS.htm#interviews

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

In the 1976/77 TV season, he hosted a weekly half-hour syndicated variety show.

It was that show that gave Wayland Flowers (and his puppet "Madame") thier first really big break too!

In a TV news clip covering the death of Andy Williams, singer Pat Boone lamented that he had been offered the song "Moon River", before Willaims....but turned it down...claiming there were already "too many river songs".

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

In a TV news clip covering the death of Andy Williams, singer Pat Boone lamented that he had been offered the song "Moon River", before Willaims....but turned it down...claiming there were already "too many river songs".

Which may have been the biggest mistake Pat Boone has ever made.

But it was "Moon River" that turned Andy Williams from Just Another Popular Singer into an A-List Superstar.

 

[therealjm12]

I mostly remember the Saturday night variety show he had on NBC. The one with the bear. It was very funny & hip for the time. A family favorite in my house. I think it was produced by George Schlatter of Laugh In fame.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

I mostly remember the Saturday night variety show he had on NBC. The one with the bear.

Poor guy never got the cookie, did he? "Not now...Not ever...NEVER!!!"