REVIEW - MOON RIVER AND ME - ANDY WILLIAMS

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
Countdown to 2010(2009)
Fall Into Reading 2009 Challenge

"Moon River and Me" by Andy Williams

# Hardcover: 320 pages
# Publisher: Viking Adult; 1ST edition (October 13, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0670021172
# ISBN-13: 978-0670021178

(from inside flap)
When in the mid-1950's Andy Williams reached a low point in his career, singing in a series of ever seedier dives to ever smaller audiences, the young man from Wall Lake, Iowa, had little inkling of the success that he would one day achieve. But by the time his voice was declared "a national treasure" by President Ronald Reagan he had charted eighteen gold and three platinum record albums, headlined at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for more than twenty years, and hosted an enormously popular weekly television series whose Christmas specials still occupy a tender spot in every baby boomer's heart.

In Moon River and Me, his long-awaited autobiography, Andy Williams tells the extraordinary story of a career that has flourished for nearly three-quarters of a century and made its mark in every branch of show business. Raised by a father who was singe-mindedly determined to see his four sons become famous performers, Andy spent much of his youth moving across the country, landing wherever he and his brothers might have a bigger opportunity, and eventually winding up in Hollywood. It was there that they caught the eye of the gifted entertainer Kay Thompson, who created an acclaimed nightclub act with the Williams Brothers that toured the country for four years. When Andy set off for a solo career in 1952, however, the fame he had enjoyed with Thompson began to slip away, and he soon found himself struggling to even support himself. But a lucky break led to a job on Steve Allen's Tonight Show, and within only a few short years his plushly beautiful tenor became one of the most recognizable voices in popular music.

Andy shares not only the triumphs and setbacks of his career but his memories of the many notable people he came to know (including Judy Garland, Henry Mancini, Jack Lemmon, John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Elton John), writing particularly movingly about his close friendship with Bobby Kennedy. For everyone who grew up with the voice of Andy Williams as the sound track to their romances, their holidays, and their family gatherings, Moon River and Me will be a welcome--and often surprising--self-portrait of a warm, funny, generous, and always captivating man.

MY THOUGHTS: I got an email from Meredith Burks at Viking Press asking if I wanted a review copy of this book. I said sure and she sent me this copy. You can get a copy at Amazon.com This is a very good Memoir. I loved reading about Mr. Williams life. He shares everything with you in this book. Including the trial of his ex-wife Claudine. Also the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. He was at the hotel the night Bobby Kennedy was shot. Reading this book brought lots of memories back to me. I remember watching his show on t.v. Mr. Williams is very candid and honest with the info in this book. This is the best memoir that I have read and really enjoyed reading this book!!!

MY RATING: 5