"I do have cancer of the bladder," he said on stage, according to the Branson Tri-Lakes News. "But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing."
He thanked fans for their support, saying "I really have missed this an awful lot." The "2011 Andy Williams Christmas Show" performance was the 83-year-old's first time on stage in weeks.
Except for a 10-month break in 1999 to deal with a polyp on his vocal cords, Williams has been appearing in Branson regularly for the last two decades, typically performing two shows a day, six days a week for nine months a year. He's known around town as "Mr. Christmas," having urged venues around entertainment-based Branson to kick off their decorations and holiday-themed shows starting Nov. 1.
The National Enquirer reported Friday that the singer had, toward the end of October, sought tests and treatment in Texas for "invasive bladder cancer." According to an unnamed Enquirer source "close to Williams," he is likely to have his bladder removed after rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumors.
Though he's perhaps best known for his take on "Moon River," the shopping malls and weather are hinting that it's time for another Williams classic: "White Christmas." Enjoy video of a Williams performance from 1969, below.
Andy Williams confirms he has bladder cancer
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Michelle Williams joins 'My Week With Marilyn' at AFI Fest
Michelle Williams' "My Week with Marilyn" has already screened at a number of prominent film festivals, but there was a special aura at the film's Hollywood premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Sunday.
Williams, who stars as Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming release, seemed somewhat in awe of her surroundings as she walked the red carpet at the AFI Fest event.
"I've never gone to where her hands and feet are and tried to put mine in there," Williams said, standing within feet of where Monroe put her prints in concrete in 1952. "But after tonight, I think I'd like to do that."
Williams' performance as the tragic blond icon is already generating award-season buzz, but the 31-year-old said she she's still anxious about how the film will be received by moviegoers and critics.
"Oh gosh, of course," the actress said of being nervous about the film's reception. "At this point, there's nothing I can do. There's nothing I can add, there's nothing I can subtract. It's all over. But don't you always want people to like what you do?"
Williams has said that she had to put herself in an especially vulnerable, fragile place to play Monroe -- something director Simon Curtis observed on set.
"She is a brilliantly intuitive actress who just works so hard to understand the complexity of her characters. And part of her quality is a fragility that chimed with Marilyn," the filmmaker said, adding that he hopes audiences will view Monroe in a different light after watching his movie.
"I hope they'll really value her, as we all did working on the film. She wasn't this sort of airhead, helpless woman. She actually was a very smart woman doing her best in a difficult time."
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