ANDY WILLIAMS - YOU´LL NEVER WALK ALONE

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

ANDY WILLIAMS

SONGWRITERS: RICHARD RODGERS & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: COLUMBIA RECORDS

LABEL: YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

GENRE: POP

YEAR: 1958

 

           Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a television variety show, from 1962 to 1971, along with numerous TV specials. The Andy Williams Show won three Emmy awards. The Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, is named after Henry Mancini's and Johnny Mercer's "Moon River", which Williams recorded. He sold more than 45 million records worldwide, including more than 10 million certified units in the United States.

Williams was active in the music industry for over 70 years until his death in 2012.

          "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, accidentally falls on to his knife whilst trying to run away after attempting a robbery with his mate Jigger and dies in her arms. The song is reprised in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise (Billy and Julie's daughter) is a member. The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and is able to silently motivate Louise and Julie to join in with the song.

          The song is also sung at association football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on match day; this tradition developed at Liverpool F.C. after the chart success of the 1963 single of the song by the local Liverpool group Gerry and the Pacemakers. In some areas of the UK and Europe, "You'll Never Walk Alone" became the anthem of support for medical staff, first responders, and those in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Besides the recordings of the song on the Carousel cast albums and the film soundtrack, the song has been recorded by many artists, with notable hit versions made by Roy Hamilton, Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison, Billy Eckstine, Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Regine Velasquez, Lee Towers, Judy Garland, Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, The Brooklyn Bridge, Olivia Newton-John and Doris Day. Progressive rock group Pink Floyd took a recording by the Liverpool Kop choir, and "interpolated" it into their own song, "Fearless", on their 1971 album Meddle.

When you walk through a storm hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark.

At the end of a storm is a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,

Walk on through the rain,

Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.

Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart

And you'll Never Walk Alone,

You'll Never Walk Alone.