The days of love & courtship

Church choirs have been a breeding ground for many a successful singer. We have heard and read stories about singers who have practiced their baritones, altos and sopranos while singing Ave Maria and The Lord’s Prayer inside the church.

Ariel Rivera and Nyoy Volante are two of our local singers who used to sing in church. Ariel sang in a church in San Juan while Nyoy at the Mary Help of Christians in Parañaque. Ariel was spotted by prolific songwriter Vehnee Saturno. He knew a talent when he sees one. Ariel had "it." He became a major music star in the ’90s after the release of his first single, Sana Kahit Minsan, penned by Vehnee. The rest, as they say, is history.

Nyoy, who sang and played the guitar in church, is now one of the music industry’s most sought-after acoustic singers. He is still the same self-effacing guy his friends knew him to be. He has remained unspoiled by success.

Overseas, we know the likes of Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin who also sang in church. Even Andy Williams performed in a children’s choir when he was a boy! And Andy was really destined to become a music superstar! He became one of the most popular vocalists and signed what at that time was the biggest recording contract in music history. Among the gold albums Andy waxed were Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses, The Andy Williams Christmas Album, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love Andy, Get Together with Andy and Love Story.

Love Story was a hit movie that starred Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw. It was such a huge hit Love Story and Where Do I Begin became the love anthem of the planet. Critics wondered if it was the theme song or the stars or the movie itself that made Love Story such a monstrous hit. I’d say it was everything about the movie – the stars, the theme song and the story itself. It was your Cinderella kind of thing – a poor girl meets rich and handsome boy with the family of the boy disowning him if he pursues the love of his life. In those days, that was cute and romantic but not mushy. Ryan and Ali made a handsome pair. Love Story was also Ali’s biggest movie. She also did The Get Away with Steve McQueen, but sadly, it didn’t do as well as Love Story.

In this day and age when romance has become high tech and courting happens through texting or the Internet, it is good to once in a while return to those good old days when love and courtship were an exciting art.

And we will get that chance at romance once again as Andy Williams serenades Filipinos with his hit songs at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 14. Billed as Andy Williams Live! One Romantic Evening will showcase the timeless music of Andy, acclaimed for his incredible vocal technique and easy listening style. Audiences will be treated to Andy Williams hits like Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses, The Shadow of Your Smile, Dear Heart and Where Do I Begin.

Andy’s musical career can be traced to his hometown in Wall Lake, Iowa where he and his brothers formed the Williams Brothers Quartet. As a group, they toured radio, nightclubs and concert halls all over the US and Europe. When he launched a solo career, Andy landed as a regular performer in Steve Allen’s Tonight Show in New York City which resulted in a recording contract with Cadence Records. A single from Cadence entitled Canadian Sunset reached the Top 10. By this time other hits followed like Butterfly, Are You Sincere, The Village of St. Bernadette, Lonely Street, Hawaiian Love Song, where he got a Grammy nomination.

Andy changed record labels and signed up with Columbia Records. He immediately scored his first hit for the company, Can’t Get Used to Losing You. Many more hits followed, like Moon River, theme from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s which starred Audrey Hepburn.

At one time, Andy produced more gold albums than any solo performer except Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. As a performer of music theme songs that catapulted him to fame, Andy also had his own TV series, the Andy Williams Show which was one of NBC’s top-rating programs lasting for nine years. It won three Emmys for Best Musical/Variety Series. In the ‘90s, Williams opened the Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri where he had been appearing six times a week with performances that blend music, comedy and dance.