高中英语 voa常速听力2012年09月合辑文本remembering-andy-williams素材.docVIP

VOA常速英语听力2012年09月合辑（文本）：Remembering-Andy-Williams Singer Andy Williams died Tuesday September 25 at his home in Branson, Missouri after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 84 years old. Williams, who marked his 75th anniversary in show business this year, was known for his smooth, baritone delivery of romantic love songs. He was also a popular U.S. television star who hosted a highly-rated weekly variety show and annual Christmas TV specials. Andy Williams debuted on the pop charts in April of 1956 and less than one year later scored his first Number One hit with Butterfly. Born in Wall Lake, Iowa, Williams began his career at age eight when he teamed up with his three brothers on their own radio series in Des Moines, Iowa. In the mid-1940s his family moved to Los Angeles, California, where the quartet continued to perform until the Korean War draft forced them to temporarily disband. Following the war, the Williams Brothers teamed with comedienne Kay Thompson, and for the next five years, they sold out venues throughout the U.S. and Europe. In 1953, the Williams Brothers broke up permanently, and a year later, Andy signed his first solo recording contract with Cadence Records. His most successful years were spent with Columbia Records beginning in 1961. Williams own Emmy Award-winning television series ran on the NBC network from 1962 to 1971. The show introduced many new acts such as the Osmond Brothers, who fondly remember the crooner for launching their careers. In this Aug. 5, 1966 photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Andy Williams performs at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Andys the one that started it for us, they said. He was the whole beginning of it. And what a voice! We grew up together. If there was anything stable in our lives, it was being on Andys show and with him. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Andy Williams popularized several songs from motion pictures. Among them were his signature tune Moon River from Breakfast At Tiffanys, as well