Marriages of Andy Williams

Although Andy Williams had two May-December marriages, neither of his wives appeared to be trophy wives.

First Marriage -- Claudine Longet
Married: 1961
Children: 3
Marriange Ended: 1975 when they divorced
More About Andy and Claudine

Second Marriage -- Debbie Haas
Married: 1991
Children: 0
Marriage Ended: 2012 when Andy died
More About Debbie and Andy

Andy Williams Information:

Born:

Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams: December 3, 1927 in Wall Lake, Iowa.

• First wife born in 1942

• Second wife born abt. 1956

Died:

Andy: On September 25, 2012 in Branson, Missouri, Andy Williams died at the age of 84 after a year-long battle with bladder cancer.

Children:

Andy and his first wife Claudine had three children together.

• Noelle Christine Williams: Born in 1963.
• Christian Williams: Born in 1965.
• Robert Williams: Born in 1969.

Andy: "Years later my son Bobby admitted to me that for years he hadn't even realized that Claudine and I were divorced. In my less self-aware moments, I might almost have taken that as a compliment, but what it really revealed was how distant and inattentive I must already have been in the years before we separated ..."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pgs. 240-241.

Occupations:

Andy: Singer, TV personality, author, producer, actor, restaurateur, theatre owner.

Residences:

Andy's main home was in Branson, Missouri.

Andy Williams' Quotes About Marriage:

Andy: "... once a damaged relationship slips beyond a certain point, it is almost impossible to repair it."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pg. 271.
Andy: "It is a sad fact, I think, and probably true for a lot of men, that we learn from the mistakes we made in our first marriages, which makes us better husbands the second time around, but that must be doubly wounding to our first wives, who had to bear the brunt of the inattentiveness, selfishness, and career obsession that eventually drove us apart."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pg. 228.

Fast Marriage Facts - Andy and Claudine:

Wedding Date: December 15, 1961.
First Marriage: Yes.

Did You Know?

Andy stood by Claudine through her trial for shooting her boyfriend.

Born:

Claudine Georgette Longet: January 29, 1942 in Paris, France.

Andy was born in 1927.

When Andy and Claudine Met:

Christopher Stevens: "In 1960, Williams was driving through Las Vegas when he spotted a young woman beside a broken-down car at the side of the road. He stopped to help, and was immediately smitten by the 18-year-old, French-born showgirl, Claudine Longet. With her wide mouth and dark, curling hair, she was breathtakingly beautiful - admirers used words like ‘ethereal’ and ‘exquisite’."
Source: Christopher Stevens. "The VERY colourful truth about the king of the crooners." DailyMail.co.uk. 9/26/2012.

Andy: "I flew to Paris. I introduced myself to her parents and eased some of their fears about the older man who was dating their daughter. Then I took Claudine out to lunch, poured us both a glass of champagne, and proposed to her."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pg. 114.

Wedding Information:

Andy and Claudine were married at the Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, California on December 15, 1961. The couple spent their wedding night in Palm Springs at the El Dorado Country Club and honeymooned in Jamaica.

Children:

Andy and Claudine had three children together: Noelle Christine Williams born in 1963, Christian Williams born in 1965, and Robert Williams born in 1969.

Occupations:

Claudine: Singer, actress, dancer at the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Divorce:

After the couple separated in 1970, Claudine filed for divorce in January 1975. Irreconcilable differences were cited by Longet for the divorce.

"They [Williams and Longet] separated in 1970 and except for their annual Christmas television special together with their children have been living apart."
Source: UPI. "Claudine Longet Files for Divorce." Leader-Times. 1/28/1975. pg. 15.

Shooting Scandal:

Claudine was charged in Aspen, Colorado in March 1976 for killing her boyfriend, Olympic medalist and champion skier "Spider" Vladimir Peter Sabich Jr. Many were surprised that Andy stood by her side during the trial. Claudine received a sentence of 30 days in jail for criminally negligent homicide.

Andy: "I had to be there for her. She is the mother of my children. And we never stopped being friends. We just didn't want to be married any more. The first thing I did was to get my kids to a safe place, and then to get her some good legal help. I still accept her story that the shooting was accidental. I think she is telling the truth."
Source: Michael Shelden. "Bobby Kennedy was buried in my tie." Telegraph.co.uk. 6/10/2002.

Later Marriage:

In June 1985 in Mexico, Claudine married the lead defense attorney during her trial, Ron Austin. She made her home in the Aspen area.

Quotes About the Marriage of Claudine Longet and Andy Williams:

Andy: "I'm not sure why we can't live together ... I love her and I know she loves me. The trouble is she can't stand to be with me for more than 2 1/2 days."
Source: Judy Bachrach. "Aspen -- Where Spider Sabich Lived and Died." Sandusky Register. 4/24/1975. pg. A-3.

Fast Marriage Facts - Andy and Debbie:

Wedding Date: May 3, 1991.
First Marriage: No.

Did You Know?

Debbie and Andy met on a blind date.

Born:

Debbie Meyer Haas: Abt. 1956 from Buffalo, Minnesota.

Andy was born in 1927.

When Andy and Debbie Met:

Andy met Debbie around 1986 on a blind date at a golf course.

Walter Scott: "Debbie Haas, at 35, is 25 years younger than Andy Williams. They met four years ago, when Haas was working as a hostess at a hotel in Aspen, Colo. The two were married last month."
Source: Walter Scott. "Personality Parade." Parade. 6/16/1991. pg. 2.

Andy: "As soon as I met Debbie, I felt there was an instant connection between us. We began talking as if we'd known each other for years, and by the time we'd played the first hole, I was barely aware that the other two in the foursome were still with us ... she was a lot younger than I ... she was certainly beautiful ... it certainly wasn't just an infatuation. I knew at once that Debbie was the one for me, the love of my life, and from the start we were meant to be."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pgs. 272-273.

Wedding Information:

Debbie and Andy were married on May 3, 1991 in New York, New York. They had a celebration at the 21 Club.

Andy: "It [Andy's residence] was a beautiful apartment and an ideal setting for the small, intimate wedding that both Debbie and I wanted. We both had had the big church wedding the first time around and decided to keep it simple this time with just a few very close friends. A justice of the peace conducted the ceremony, and we took our vows looking out over the Manhattan skyline."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pg. 274.

Occupations:

Debbie: Hotel executive.

Residences:

Debbie and Andy had homes in Branson, Missouri and La Quinta, California.
Their home in Branson, overlooking Lake Taneycomb, is a Country French home on a golf course.

Andy: "We don't encourage too many visitors to the house, and we don't even have a guest bedroom ... Because I live a very public life the rest of the time, the house has become my refuge where I can kick off my shoes, relax, and unwind."
Source: Andy Williams. Moon River and Me: A Memoir. 10/2009. pg. 291.

Pevious Marriages:

Debbie had one previous marriage. Andy was previously married to Claudine Longet.

Quotes About the Marriage of Debbie Haas and Andy Williams:

Andy: "Debbie and we had a reunion with my children, my daughter, Noelle, and my son Christian, who lives in Costa Rica, and my son Bobby, and Debbie, and Claudine, and her husband. And everybody got along great. And Claudine and Debbie are good pals."
Source: Larry King Live."Andy Williams Discusses His Return to Singing." Cnn.com. 8/22/2000.