Biography

Claudine Longet

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Although known as an actress and singer, Claudine Longet's career was overshadowed by being known as a former wife of Andy Williams as well as for fatally shooting her boyfriend, ski legend Spider Sabich, in 1976. After a number of roles in episodes of high-profile TV programs such as Combat! (1962), Hogan's Heroes (1965), Dr. Kildare (1961), Mr. Novak (1963), and 12 O'Clock High (1964), Longet landed the role of Michele Monet in the Blake Edwards film The Party (1968). As a recording artist, she was signed by Herb Alpert's A&M Records. She released a string of albums in the late 1960s ("Claudine", "The Look of Love", "Love Is Blue", "Colours", and "Run Wild, Run Free") covering songs from The Bee Gees and Donovan, among others. She had four hits reach the US top 100 singles chart, including "Love Is Blue" and "Hello Hello". After switching to the Barnaby label, she released two other albums, "We've Only Just Begun" and "Let's Spend the Night Together". A third album, "Sugar Me", recorded in 1974, had to wait almost 20 years before being released. Standout songs included the title track, a cover of the Lynsey de Paul hit, as well as "Guess Who I Saw in Paris" by Buffy Sainte-Marie.
- IMDb mini biography by: L. Haun

Fatally shot her boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich, on 3/21/76 at his Aspen, Colorado, home after he had reportedly told her to move out because she and her three children were "cramping" his lifestyle. At the sensational trial that followed, Longet claimed the gun had discharged accidentally as Sabich was showing her how it worked. However, ballistics showed that the gun's trigger had been pulled more than once. 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. In 1978, she signed a confidentiality agreement with Sabich's parents after they agreed to drop a $1.3-million civil suit against her.
In 1960, she was the lead dancer of the Folies Bergère revue at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Three children by singer Andy Williams: daughter Noelle Williams, son Christian Williams, and son Bobby Williams, who was named for Robert F. Kennedy, a good friend of the Williamses.
The Rolling Stones wrote and recorded a song, "Claudine", about her murder trial and acquittal. The widely bootlegged song was unreleased due to fears of possible litigation, but now exists on the bonus CD for the reissue of their album Some Girls.
Appeared on "People Weekly" magazine's first crime cover (24 January 1977).

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