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Lawmakers mourn death of 'Moon River' singer Andy Williams
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are reacting to the death of legendary singer Andy Williams.
The “Moon River” songster died Tuesday night in his Branson, Mo., home at 84 after battling bladder cancer, according to his publicist.
Rep. Bruce Braley, an Iowa Democrat, took to Twitter on Wednesday to remember Williams, a Hawkeye State native: “Sad to hear legendary Iowa crooner Andy Williams died last night. He will be missed.”
Calling Williams “a great talent” and “a perfect gentleman,” Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) wrote that he’ll pray for Williams’s widow, Debbie, and his family.
Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) also expressed remorse about the news of Williams’s death, saying he was “sad to hear about the passing of one [of] the greats” and posting a link to a video of some of the entertainer’s greatest hits.
The Christmas-music crooner was no stranger to politics. Williams campaigned for his good friend, Robert Kennedy, during the 1968 presidential race and for George McGovern in 1972. After Kennedy was assassinated in June of 1968, Williams sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at his memorial service.
In 2009, Williams made headlines when he told a British newspaper that President Obama was “following Marxist theory” and wanted “the country to fail.”
He later said in an interview with ABC News that his comments “got blown out of proportion.” Williams added, “I have nothing, absolutely, against a liberal Democrat. I just think sometimes, like a lot of Americans, that [Obama] might be guiding us in the wrong direction. But that’s — that’s just from a singer. It really doesn’t mean much.”
