On September 25, the music industry lost another icon and
one of the best male voices ever to grace the entertainment world as our dear
Andy Williams, the singer behind the hit songs ‘Moon River’ and Love Story
(Where Do I Begin) succumbed to cancer.
The legendary crooner died after a year-long battle with
bladder cancer at his Branson, Missouri, home Tuesday night, his family said.
He was 84.
"Moon River" became his theme song after he
performed it at the 1962 Academy Awards, where it won an Oscar for best song in
a movie. Audrey Hepburn sang the Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini composition in
the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Williams' recording career reached superstar status in 1963
when his album "Days of Wine and Roses" spent 16 weeks at the top of
the U.S. music charts.
"The entertainment industry has lost a giant piece of
its living history today, but Williams' legacy will forever be enshrined in the
annals of music and television," said Neil Portnow, the president of the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. "Our deepest condolences
go out to his family, friends, and all who will miss this American
treasure."
The singer hosted five Christmas television specials,
between 1973 and 1985, along with seven other television specials, the first in
1959 and the last in 1987.
Williams, who also had a home in La Quinta, California, is
survived by his wife of 21 years, Debbie, and his three children with French
singer Claudine Longet -- Robert, Noelle and Christian.
He was married to Longet from 1961 until their divorce in
1975. A year later, she was charged with the fatal shooting of her boyfriend,
Olympic skier Spider Sabich.
Williams stood by Longet, who claimed the shooting was
accidental. She spent a month in jail.
He was born on December 3, 1927, in Wall Lake, Iowa, where
he began singing with brothers Bob, Dick and Don in a Presbyterian church choir
led by their parents.
Williams was just 8 when he made his professional singing
debut with the Williams Brothers Quartet. The brothers were regular performers
on radio station WHO's "Iowa's Barn Dance Show" in Des Moines. Their
popularity grew, taking the brothers to national stations, including WLS in
Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati.
Doris Day was his friend when they were both young and
living in Cincinnati.
Source: CNN
No comments:
Post a Comment