Andy Williams has fond memories of childhood days in Cincinnati — hayrides, Coney Island, Fountain Square decorated for Christmas, the local beer.

        “When we moved there, some grocery stores in the neighborhood sent us packages which they do to new families moving in, to get their business. And one of them was a case of beer,” says Mr. Williams, who will perform at Firstar Center Tuesday.

IF YOU GO

• What: The Andy Williams Christmas Show   • When: 8 p.m. Tuesday   • Where: Firstar Center   • Tickets: $30-$37.50, at Ticketmaster (562-4949)

ON THE WEB

www.andywilliams.com

        “And I remember that my father ceremoniously poured all the beer down the drain. And it wasn't longer than a year afterward that we were practically taking beer to school with us. It was a big beer place.”

        Born in Wall Lake, Iowa, Mr. Williams, 73, spent his ninth- and 10th-grade years at Western Hills High School, moving from Chicago and the WLS radio station with the family singing group, the Williams Brothers. They performed on WLW, the radio station that was also the big step to stardom for local girls Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney.

        “They were the best years of my life,” he says, recalling those times from his Moon River theater office in Branson, Mo. “There were fraternities and sororities in high school. We had a handshake and a clubhouse. And football was great and the girls were great, and I was discovering both.”

        With the latter, the young man's radio career proved an asset. “No, it didn't hurt at all,” he says with a chuckle.

        In ninth grade, he was dating a senior girl, hardly a typical arrangement. “Well, I was old for my age, I was mature, I was horny,” he says with a hearty laugh.
       

Singing since age 8

               He'd been a professional singer since the age of 8. The 65 years since have included such milestones as the Williams Brothers' 1944 hit with Bing Crosby, “Swinging on a Star.”

        In 1952, he went solo and made early appearances on The Tonight Show, with its original host, the late Steve Allen. In 1956, he hit the Top 10 with ""Canadian Sunset” and made No. 1 in 1957 with his mellow version of the rockabilly song “Butterfly.”

        In 1963, as the Beatles were about to storm the American music scene, Mr. Williams had one of his last single successes, “"Can't Get Used to Losing You.” By then, he was on TV with his popular variety show (1959-1971), and though he couldn't compete with the teen-dominated singles charts, his albums Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes and Days of Wine and Roses, were hugely successful with the adult audience.

        In the '70s and '80s, as his star faded at home, he remained popular in England, where he regularly toured.
       head Time to slow down

        After almost seven decades in the business, it's time to slow down. It was something he decided to do a couple of years ago, when vocal cord problems forced him to quit singing for a year.

        “I had some thoughts at the time and one of 'em was, I really didn't want to work so much anymore,” he explains. “I really enjoyed not being able to work. I went to dinner with my wife (Debbie), which I never do here because I'm working all the time. Went to movies, played golf every day — I had a wonderful time.

        “But I also realized that I missed singing.”

        He thinks he's found the perfect compromise. He'll continue working 3 1/2 months a year, but will no longer go on the road after this tour ends. If you miss him Tuesday, you'll have to go to Branson between Labor Day and Christmas to catch up to him.

        “I'm very fortunate to have this theater that I love. I spent a million on lights and a million on sound. I have a great band, and I really don't want to work anywhere else but here.”
       

On the Internet

               Old habits are hard to break, and Mr. Williams still keeps busy. He's working on a live album from tours of Japan and England for Concord Records. And he just launched his Web site — www.andywilliams.com.

        After a career that reaches from the great AM radio networks of the '40s to the Internet, Mr. Williams deserves a rest. He'll spend most of his down time in Palm Springs, Calif., returning to the Ozarks in the summer to start rehearsals for his fall run.

        He also hopes to revisit old stomping grounds.

        “I loved Cincinnati, it was a great city to grow up in. I'd much rather live in Cincinnati than in Los Angeles. I like that size city,” he says. “I'd like to come back and spend some time there. And now, I can do that sort of thing.”
       

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