ANDY WILLIAMS DIES

	ANDY WILLIAMS DIES Legendary singer Andy Williams, known for his smooth voice and classics such as "Moon River," died after a year-long battle with bladder cancer at his Branson, Missouri, home Tuesday night, his family said. Williams, 84, began his singing career as a child in a quartet with his brothers, but he rose to stardom as a solo act starting in the 1950s. "The Andy Williams Show," a weekly television variety program that ran for nine years on NBC starting in 1962, and a dozen TV specials from 1959 through 1987 made Williams a household name in the United States. He spent the last 20 years of his career performing on his own stage at his Moon River Theatre in Branson. Jimmy Osmond said his family would be "forever grateful for the interactions we had with him." "Not only did he discover us as a group, but also allowed us the opportunity to be discovered as individuals and develop our own talents," Osmond said. "The clarity and warmth and grace of his singing shaped my love of music as I watched my brothers perform with him on his weekly show," Donny Osmond said. Williams gave him several voice lessons when he was just 7, Osmond said. "When I finally joined my brothers and toured with Andy as his opening act and back-up singers, I was always impressed with the way he handled an audience," he said. "He loved the audience. That was one of the most important lessons he taught me." His sister, Marie Osmond, who made her TV debut on his show at age 3, said Williams was "the first person <b>...</b>	From: MrBobLuck Views: 1 0 ratings
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