Music

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Moon River crooner outlasted many other stars of his era

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 09/27/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

ST. LOUIS -- With a string of gold albums, a hit TV series and the signature Moon River, Andy Williams was a voice of the 1960s, although not the '60s we usually hear about.

The singer known for his easy-listening style and his wholesome, middle-America appeal was the antithesis of the counterculture that gave rise to rock 'n' roll.

"The old cliché says that if you can remember the 1960s, you weren't there," he once recalled. "Well, I was there all right, but my memory of them is blurred -- not by any drugs I took but by the relentless pace of the schedule I set myself."

Williams' plaintive tenor, boyish features and clean-cut demeanour helped him outlast many of the decade's rock stars and fellow crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. He remained on the charts into the 1970s, hosting hugely popular Christmas television specials and becoming closely associated with the holiday standard The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Williams, who continued to perform into his 80s at the Moon River Theatre he built in Branson, Mo., announced in November 2011 that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer and vowed to return to performing the following year, his 75th in show business.

The 84-year-old entertainer died Tuesday night at his Branson home following a yearlong battle with the disease, his Los Angeles-based publicist, Paul Shefrin, said Wednesday.

Williams became a major star in 1956, the same year as Elvis Presley, with the Sinatra-like swing number Canadian Sunset. For a time, he was pushed into such Presley imitations as Lips of Wine and the No. 1 smash Butterfly.

But he mostly stuck to what he called his "natural style" and kept it up throughout his career. In 1970, when even Sinatra had temporarily retired, Williams was in the top 10 with the theme from Love Story, the Oscar-winning tearjerker. He had 18 gold records and three platinum, was nominated for five Grammy awards and hosted the Grammy ceremonies for several years.

Movie songs became a specialty, including his signature Moon River. The longing Johnny Mercer-Henry Mancini ballad was his most famous song.

The Andy Williams Show, which lasted in various formats through the 1960s and into 1971, won three Emmys and featured Williams alternately performing his stable of hits and bantering with guest stars.

It was on that show that Williams -- who launched his own career as part of an all-brother quartet -- introduced the world to another clean-cut act -- the original four singing Osmond Brothers of Utah. Their younger sibling Donny also made his debut on Williams' show, in 1963, when he was six years old. Four decades later, the Osmonds and Williams would find themselves in close proximity again, sharing Williams' theatre in Branson.

Williams is survived by his second wife, the former Debbie Haas, and his three children, Robert, Noelle and Christian.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 27, 2012 D5

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Music

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.