Andy Williams

Easy listening singer Andy Williams gained widespread popularity as a solo artist when he became a regular performer on Steve Allen's Tonight Show beginning in 1952. He had his first Top Ten Album, Andy Williams Sings Steve Allen, in 1956 with Cadence Records. Over the years, Williams acquired 18 gold and 3 platinum albums. The highlight of his career was his weekly TV show, The Andy Williams Show, which ran from 1962 to 1971, collecting 3 Emmy Awards for Best Musical/Variety Series. Williams introduced the seven Osmond Brothers on his weekly show.

Andy Williams began his singing career at the age of eight, singing with his brothers Don, Dick and Bob as the Williams Brothers Quartet. They sang at churches and on local radio stations. Williams was discovered by Bing Crosby, who invited the boys in 1944 to sing on his hit recording of "Swinging on a Star." The boys went on to perform on several specialty films, and performed with comedienne Kay Thompson in her night club act from 1947 through 1951. Andy Williams was the only one of the brothers who pursued a professional singing career, although his brothers later made occasional guest appearances on The Andy Williams Show.

He was married twice, first to Claudine Longet, with whom he had three children, Noelle, Christian and Bobby. They divorced in 1975 and shortly thereafter, Longet was sentenced to 30 days in prison for accidentally murdering her boyfriend, skier Spider Sabich. Good friends with Bobby Kennedy and his wife Ethel, Williams sang at Kennedy's funeral and escorted Ethel Kennedy to various events during the 1970s after her husband's assassination.

Andy WIlliams built a $12 million dollar theater in Branson, Missouri, called The Andy Williams Moon River Theater which opened in 1992. Now in his seventies, Andy Williams continues to perform in Europe and Branson, where he and his second wife, Debbie Haas, live.