Andy Williams solo career began in 1952, with several appearances on Steve Allen's Tonight Show, followed by a contract with Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records in 1955. He hit the Top Ten in 1955 with his third single for the label, "Canadian Sunset." One year later, his soft-toned cover of the Charlie Gracie rockabilly nugget "Butterfly" spent three weeks at number one (it's still his biggest hit). Additional Top Ten entries "Are You Sincere," "Lonely Street" and "The Village of St. Bernadette" followed before Williams moved to Columbia in 1961.

Despite another big hit in 1963, "Can't Get Used to Losing You," Williams failed to generate much action on the singles charts during the 1960s. Instead, his high-rated variety program on NBC-TV spurred interest in the ever-growing LP market for adult and middle-of-the-road audiences. The popular 1962 album Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes launched the song he's most identified with, and the following year's Days of Wine and Roses spent 16 weeks at the top of the album charts. Nine more LPs hit the Top Ten for Andy Williams during the '60s, many organized around loose themes -- Broadway, ballads, and one album that featured members of his family. Though 1971's Love Story was a platinum success that sparked a Top Ten hit for the title song, his television show was cancelled that year.

Andy Williams remained very popular during the '70s, especially for British audiences. His single "Solitaire" hit the Top Ten there in 1973, though it didn't even chart in America. As well, two of his subsequent albums performed well, but only in Britain. He released relatively few LPs during the 1980s, but returned to the pop world in the early '90s when he founded his own theatre/resort in the home-grown entertainment capital of Branson, Missouri. Williams continued to headline shows there during the rest of the decade.

In 1946, when The Jolson Story captivated theatregoers with the story of Al Jolson's life, Andy Williams recorded his version of the new hit song from that movie.
Click to listen to Andy Williams sing the "Anniversary Song."