CHRISTIE’S CELEBRATES THE ECLECTIC EYE OF THE TALENTED AND BELOVED KING OF CROONERS:ANDY WILLIAMS A group of works from the collection of crooner Andy Williams will be offered in the Evening and Day Sales, May 15th and 16th, and is expected to achieve in excess of $30 million.
at the 1962 Academy Awards. That same year, Williams debuted his own variety series on NBC, The Andy Williams Show. The show won three Emmy Awards and lasted until 1971, continuing into the 1990s as an annual Christmas special featuring Williams' entire family. His show was also a favorite on British television, thanks to the singer’s success in the UK.
Williams frequently performed throughout Europe in the 1960s and 70s. In fact, his 1970s record sales were greater in the UK than in the United States. His popularity in Britain endured into the last years of his life, with numerous hits in the late 1990s and a tour there in 2007. His performance of “Moon River” in 2009 marked his last appearance on British television.
In 1992, the singer opened the Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri, where he performed to sold-out crowds for years. On September 25, 2012, Williams died after a year-long battle with cancer.
Post-War and Contemporary Art: New York 15-16 May 2013
“Andy Williams was a uniquely American success story which played out against the backdrop of the Great Depression, World War II and the tumultuous 1960s. A musical prodigy performing since the age of 8, Andy would become one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th century, an unparalleled example of the American dream. Everything Andy did looked effortless, but behind it all was a tireless work ethic and relentless ambition to be the best. He was as passionate about his art collecting as he was about music. He began haunting the world’s top galleries and museums in the 1950s and never stopped. Williams’ highly personal choices in Post War and Contemporary artworks reflect the dynamic energy of New York and Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s, where he befriended artists such as Kenneth Noland and Ed Ruscha and dealers such as Nicholas Wilder, Billy Pearson, Richard Gray, and Andre Emmerich. He surrounded himself with art and objects in his La Quinta and Branson homes, creating gracious, museum-like displays. He also believed in sharing his art, and installed works at his Moon River Theater in Branson. He had the exceptional ability to recognize quality in every category that he turned his attention to—a rare gift among collectors. Although best known for his 20th century art collection, his Catholic tastes extended to African art, Folk art, duck decoys and Indian blankets” declared Robert Manley, International Director, Specialist Head of the Post-War and Contemporary Art Department.
Andy Williams’ great success as a performer was due to his tireless work ethic, and he pursued collecting with the same passionate determination. Initially interested in the great masters of Modern Art, such as Picasso, Braque, and Juan Gris, Andy soon developed a taste for the New York School painters of the 1950s. His collection grew to encompass brilliant examples by Willem de Kooning, Hans Hofmann, Richard Diebenkorn and Franz Kline. A strategic collector with an eye for quality, Andy created a veritable stockpile of masterpieces, many
