An Andy Williams Christmas

I've started listening to Christmas music on the radio, and it's a good thing, because it almost instantly elevates my mood. I'm not much for most of the trappings of Christmas--I don't decorate or get a tree or any anything like that--but I love Christmas music, ranging from classical music sung by choirs to "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

I don't think any singer of Christmas carols pushes my buttons like Andy Williams, and it has little to do with his voice, though it is certainly mellifluous. No, it has more to do with the Proustian rush I get when I hear him sing, for he was a big favorite of my father's side of the family--my grandparents and great-grandparents. Hearing him sing takes me back to their homes, where I can recall how the rug felt when I sat on it and where I played as a kid.

They were regular watchers of the Andy Williams Show and his Christmas specials. Their tastes were decidedly middle-American: Hee Haw, Lawrence Welk, and the Andy Griffith Show. As much as I may like to think of myself as some kind of hipster, well-versed with high-falutin' stuff from Shakespeare to Jean-Luc Godard, I can't deny that a part of my DNA is infused with a love for homey things like green-bean casserole, clown paintings, repeats of old game shows, and yes, Andy Williams.

There's a story about Andy Williams and my great-grandfather, who died in 1975. Williams was a good friend of Robert Kennedy's, and he sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic" at his funeral. That side of my family were also devoted to all of the Kennedys. Williams said he would never sing the song again. About five years later, the Democratic Party had a telethon soliciting donations (I distinctly remember Warren Beatty participating, and my great-grandmother didn't know who he was, although I did). Williams appeared, and agreed to sing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" again. This so moved my curmudgeonly great-grandfather enough that he called in and pledged twenty dollars. I'm not sure he'd be too happy with Williams now, who has been disparaging Barack Obama publicly.

In any event, as my life continues to fray like an old rope, its quite comforting to hear the old singers who made my ancestors happy, like wrapping myself in a old quilt and lulling myself to sleep.