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Revision as of 03:44, 15 August 2005 by Theda (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Claudine Longet (born in Paris on January 29, 1942), was a popular singer and recording artist in the 1960s and 1970s. She was best known as the wife of singer Andy Williams from 1961 to 1975. She met Williams while she was a dancer in the Folies Bergere in Las Vegas, and they had three children, Noelle, Christian, and Robert. In 1968, she appeared in the film "The Party" with Peter Sellers and sang the song "Nothing to Lose" by Henry Mancini. Longet recorded a series of five albums for A&M Records between 1966 and 1970 and two albums for Williams' Barnaby label in 1971 and 1972. She also made frequent acting appearances in television series and also appeared from time to time on Williams' variety series and specials.
Longet was arrested and charged with the March 21, 1976 shooting death of her lover, Olympic skier Vladimir "Spider" Sabich at his Aspen, Colorado home after an argument. At the sensational trial, she claimed the gun discharged accidentally as Sabich was showing her how it worked. Williams very publicly supported Claudine throughout the trial, even escorting her to and from the courthouse. She was convicted of criminal negligence and sentenced to 30 days in jail, which she served following a vacation with her defense attorney, Ron Austin, whom she later married. At least partly due to the notoriety of the incident, Longet has never performed again, not even appearing on television documentaries about her ex-husband.
Trivia
The incident of criminal negligence in the death of Sabich was the subject of a song written by Mick Jagger which was ultimately cut from the album Emotional Rescue (1980), although copies have surfaced due to piracy over the years.