Much has been said about Andy Williams here on Oldbitey. I’ve mentioned him several time before, but only in reference to other artists, such as Glenn Tilbrook and that Springifieldian known as Nelson Muntz.

If you’ll recall, I’ve had my Andy Williams moment. I sat there like Nelson did, and stared up at my idol wide-eyed and deep in my giddy dorkness. I’ve promoted Christmas cheer and championed the Happiness virus an inoculation of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Some say he’s the Emperor of Easy-listening schmarm. His court is made up by the Ray Conniff singers and Mitch Miller. He is waited on hand and foot by the Osmonds. He owns a theater in Branson, MO, where his minions flock to hear him croon the theme from Love Story.

Yet before we dub him the Kaiser of Korn and dismiss Mr Moon River as a joke, here’s a fact or two a few of you might not know:  He’s been part of history. He was there when Bobby Kennedy was shot. In the 70s, his former wife, Claudine Longet, accidentally shot her lover, who’s name was Spider. Back in 1976, my young mind fully understood reasons for killing a spider, but this isn’t about me, it’s about Andy, a real man, who fronted up to give his ex-wife support (If you want the full story, check out Wikipedia) after she shot her lover.

Now come on! How freakin’ manly is that?

I mean Andy stepping up to bat, not Claudine’s Spider killing.

Cars, chicks, that black suit. Yes. Andy’s James Bond-like album cover is important. It’s titled Music to Watch Girls By and that song was a huge seller back in the 60s. It’s got that 60s manly cover and the tune is catchy in that hip 60s way. Bond=manly, right?

Story ideas brew in the mind of Oldbitey (ideas which are not of the soap opera ilk) because Andy Williams has character. Andy Williams WILL be a character in something I write because, as you know, writers are scavengers and we live on carrion–I mean the anecdotes we hear, the stories we absorb. There’s some easy-listening schmarm involved here, I’ll grant you that, but big whup. A man like Andy, a man with a strong character deserves some respect. 

So thanks, Andy. Thanks for making my Christmas time wonderful. It’s nice to know there are men like you in the world.