MOON RIVER AND ME

Andy Williams is an all-around-nice-guy—known as much for his sweaters as his smooth singing. His memoir takes nothing away from that image; it just reinforces that the real Andy Williams is a lot like the guy we watched on TV every week from 1959 to 1971. Williams narrates himself, and if he slips up on a few words or occasionally pauses in mid-sentence, it can be forgiven. After all, he’s now in his 80s (and still performs at his own theater in Branson, Missouri). Many aspects of his life are fascinating—he talks in heartbreaking detail about being at Bobby Kennedy's side when he was assassinated. He talks about the trial of his ex-wife, Claudine Longet, for the shooting death of her lover. He talks about his tough early years and his rise to television fame. But mainly he talks about his love of music. It's wider than a mile. M.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]