Moon River and Me: A Memoir

by Andy Williams

Book Overview

A remarkable memoir by one of the most popular and beloved entertainers of the twentieth century When in the mid-1950s Andy Williams reached a low point in his career, singing in dives to ever-smaller... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670021172
• ISBN13: 9780670021178
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 1.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Totally enjoyable and enlightening!

After being an Andy Williams fan for about 50 years, I loved the candidness of the events of his life as well as the dealings with which he's had with other well-known people througout his career. Several of the topics have been documented before as in his A & E Biography show and shows like Larry King Live a few years back but not in this much detail. I've seen Andy probably 15 times through the years - state fairs, concerts in arenas, music halls, Vegas at Caesar's Palace, and of course Branson. He was fabulous always, and in light of the issues he had with performing live throughout the years, all you can say is that Andy is a true professional --- always giving the best he can for any audience. I am so happy he is at peace with performing after all of these years in Branson. Also, as to his character --- his taking full responsibility for his breakup with Claudine; being with them during the whole Aspen ordeal; always providing for those he has had both relationships and business dealing with throughout the years; and always supporting important causes during his career. These are all marks of a good and caring person with much character. A perfect person - NO! A responsible one - DEFINITELY! When I began really enjoying Andy Williams at age 14 or so, and trying to model my singing after him, I not only loved his music and his talent; I loved his person just as much. Singers are a dime-a-dozen; however, singers who make the listener/watcher feel good about listening are on a level all by themselves - Andy is right there. Continued success, Andy. Thanks for sharing your story with us. We are all the better for it.

Highly entertaining

When you visited my grandparents house, there were two rules: You went to church on Sunday and you never talked when the Lawrence Welk or Andy Williams shows were on TV. Reading Andy's life story is highly entertaining and insightful. He always gave the appearance that performing was the most natural thing in the world for him. To learn about his deep insecurities and stage fright, and how he worked through them, is inspiring. Williams is also very honest, though never a gossip monger, when it comes to sharing his views about his peers in the entertainment industry. Because this is a memoir, and not an autobiography, there is no index and it is likely no fact checking was done. Hence, some of the dates are wrong and some of the memories are probably blurred a bit by time. Nonetheless, it is unlikely any reader with an interest in TV and music from the 1950s and 60s would be disappointed.

Quite a good read...

I don't know if Mr. Williams employed "help" or not while writing this, but I was very impressed with his style and description. Unlike another reviewer, I actually found that he was more forthcoming than I expected from an entertainer with such a squeaky clean image: drinking, sex, language, etc. Even the fact that he did not enjoy performing live for so many years. I suspect that some fans in Branson may be shocked, in fact. But what a wonderful life story about an America long since past. True, I found the chapter regarding Claudine Longet a bit hard to swallow because I find it hard to believe there was never any doubt in his mind that the shooting was an accident. Surely anyone in that situation would have had some questions. But I wasn't there and Mr. Williams was, and this is his account of his life so he is absolutely entitled to his belief and the writing of it. I commend him, actually, for his support of Ms. Longet as the mother of his children. As with every celebrity memoir, there are several juicy tidbits about other celebrities. But the one I found most telling was his recount of Ethel Kennedy asking him to find a pretty girl to sit next to her husband at a dinner party in order to help him "relax." Hmmm, what to make of that in light of what we know about Bobby Kennedy? In any case, bravo Mr. Williams for a brave and delightful memoir, and for many years of entertainment.

What a surprise!

Who would have known that Andy William's memoir would be so funny and witty. I picked this up at an airport and was so pleasantly surprised. His writing is charming, funny and shows what a had worker he was (and still is) and what an all around good guy he really is. Try it ..........you'll like it.

A Must Have Book for any Andy Williams Fan

As a fan of Andy's for over 40 years (I started when I was all of 9 years old) I was thrilled to learn of his autobiography. Andy did not disappoint. He writes a detailed account of his early years (with his family) in Iowa and parts of the mid-west and how the Williams Brothers came to be. Over the years I had read about Kay Thompson and how she helped develop Andy into becoming a class A entertainer but this book really goes into depths about the relationship. The book is filled with interesting and funny anecdotes about fellow celebrities and entertainers. But more important than that he delves into his relationships with Robert and Ethel Kennedy and, of course, Claudine Longet - his first wife. The chapter that includes his recounting of the assassination of Robert Kennedy will bring many to tears when reading it. He opens up, without going too deeply into detail, about his relationship with Claudine and why the marriage failed. He goes into detail however about the Claudine Longet / Spider Sabich shooting incident and his thoughts about it and how it effected him and his family. For fans of Andy, if you think you know all there is to know about him, his book will give you at least a couple of surprises. I know it did me. After reading the book (1 ½ days) and "digesting it" I was given the sense that this book was a cathartic release for Andy in the writing of it. He reveals a lot about himself and his inner thinking. I was spelled bound by it and couldn't put the book down. Now for the few things in the book that had me scratching my head in confusion. In the book Andy writes about the decade of the 60's as almost being something of a blur to him because of his skyrocketing career with all the tours, recordings and TV shows, his marriage / separation and 3 kids. I think this may show in his writing. On page 150 he writes about the Washington State Fair and the Osmonds joining him. He mentions doing "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" with the 4 brothers and then introducing Donny who was "still only five years old, for his first state fair appearance". The song however was written and released in 1969 when Donny was 11 years old. At the state fair he's writing about it was only 1963 or 64. Another confusing page for me was on page 197. He's on a river trip with Robert and Ethel Kennedy and he's on top of a "luggage raft" singing "Happy Heart" after Ethel Kennedy asks him to sing a song. Andy doesn't give a definite year for the river trip but "Happy Heart" wasn't released by anyone (himself or Petulia Clark) until 1969 - a year or so after RFK's death. But these are possible minor glitches in the totality of the book. This is a must book for anyone who has ever been a fan of the greatest pop tenor singer in history. I'm glad that he's starting to accept the fact that maybe he really is as good as the others. Even back in 1969 when I first heard him on the radio at age 9 I would have said, "well duh!!"