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Legendary US crooner, Andy Williams, died on Tuesday at his home in Branson, Missouri, after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 84. He will be best remembered for his signature song “Moon River,” which was used as the theme for his popular television series in the 1960s and remained an important part of his stage show until the end.

Williams was born in Wall Lake, Iowa on December 3, 1927 and began performing as a child in the late 1930s when he formed the Williams Brothers act with his older brothers Bob, Don, and Dick. The group became regulars on radio, which led to an invitation to record the song “Swinging on a Star” with Bing Crosby. Several appearances in film musicals followed, before the group collaborated for several years on a nightclub act with Kay Thompson.

The Williams Brothers weren’t destined for stardom, but their youngest member was. Andy went solo in 1953, with limited success initially, but began to build a name for himself with regular appearances on “Tonight Starring Steve Allen”. His first hit came in 1956 when “Canadian Sunset” peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Pop Chart. Here’s a 1963 live version of the song.

“Canadian Sunset” (1963) – Andy Williams

Several sizable hits followed in the next few years, including “Butterfly” (#1), “The Hawaiian Wedding Song” (#11), “Are You Sincere” (#3), and “Lonely Street” (#5).

Williams signed for Columbia in 1961 and the following year began his successful nine-year stint at the helm of “The Andy Williams Show” on NBC, which would win three Emmy Awards. This gave Williams the opportunity to showcase his own material, and also to have fun duetting with many impressive guest stars. Here’s one great example, which highlights just how good Andy Williams’ voice was.

“Scarborough Fair” – Andy Williams and Simon & Garfunkel

During this period, he also became a popular Vegas headliner, and scored many hit albums, including “Days of Wine and Roses” which topped the Billboard album chart for 16 weeks. His biggest single of the decade was “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” which reached number two in both the US and UK in 1963.

“Can’t Get Used to Losing You” – Andy Williams

In 1968, Williams had a Top Five UK hit with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” which had been recorded by Frankie Valli the previous year. Williams’ cover would become one of his most enduring recordings.

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Andy Williams

Although his weekly television specials ended in 1971, Williams continued to record specials over the next couple of decades, including his popular annual Christmas show. This yearly event and his large number of Christmas recordings, including the standard “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” earned him the nickname “Mr Christmas”.

In 1992, Williams opened the 2,000-seater Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri, which would become his performing home for the rest of his life. It was from the stage of the Moon River Theater that he announced his illness to fans last November.

After years absent from the charts, Williams made a comeback in the UK in the late 1990s when his 1967 recording “Music to Watch Girls By” reached the Top Ten after appearing in a couple of advertising campaigns.

“Music to Watch Girls By” – Andy Williams

He would also crack the UK Top Thirty in 2002 when Denise Van Outen joined him on a new recording of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”.

Andy Williams 74-year music career is a testament to his smooth tenor voice and easy charm. He came to national prominence just as rock ‘n’ roll was really exploding, but carved out his own niche and secured a loyal following that stuck by him as musical trends came and went. He would earn 18 Gold album awards and three Platinum, which is a total for solo performers that is only bettered by Elvis, Sinatra and Johnny Mathis.

Stars pay tribute to Andy Williams

Many stars have paid tribute to Andy Williams today. Here’s a selection:

“Andy was a dear friend of mine, and we’ve known each other since we were kids in Cincinnati. He and his brothers sang and of course, so did I, and often I would go over to their house and we would sing together. They asked me to join their group, but my vocal coach thought I should be out on my own and so that’s what I did. Andy and I kept in touch over the years and just recently, even when he was so sick, he wrote to congratulate me on my new CD. He was such a sweet, thoughtful man, and I will miss him dearly.” – Doris Day

“The best way I could describe his voice was ‘pure’. It was always pleasant to listen to. I will always treasure the memories of when I was 7 years old and he took the time to give me several voice lessons. He truly was a great singer and I will ever be indebted to Andy for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dreams and the opportunity to be personally inspired by such a generous talent.” – Donny Osmond

“Andy Williams was the voice of the 1960s & one of the greatest entertainers in the biz – Rest in peace, my dear! xo!” – Darlene Love

“Thank you Andy what a voice it will be missed. Rest well.” – Ronan Keating

“God bless Andy Williams. RW x.” – Robbie Williams

“Andy Williams was a real smooth guy, that’s for sure. Rest in peace, Andy.” – Tim Burgess

“So sad to hear the news of Andy Williams’ passing this morning. His brother, Don, was my manager in the 80’s. My prayers are with the family.” – Reba McEntire

“He had perhaps the most beautiful male voice ever. Perfect pitch.” – Kathie Lee Gifford

“He gave me singing advice that I’ve applied to my entire career. He told me, `Don’t take singing lessons. Do breathing exercises.” He would tell me to practice swimming the length of a pool underwater to increase my lung capacity. Because of Andy, I’m able to do power songs like “World Goes Round” in our Las Vegas show.” – Marie Osmond

“R.I.P & respect for the amazing Andy Williams! Your voice filled the world with beauty & soul!” – Boy George

“He was a wonderful person. He befriended me when I was just a teenager starting out in show business, and we remained friends throughout the years. I regret that we didn’t have the chance to spend more time together. He was one of the great voices and great people of our time.” – Smokey Robinson

Williams is survived by his wife, Debbie, and his three children, Robert, Noelle and Christian.

We close this tribute with an excellent vintage performance of the song that Andy Williams would become best known for.

“Moon River” – Andy Williams