Eydie Gormé

Eydie Gormé (born Edith Gormezano; August 16, 1928 – August 10, 2013) was an American singer who achieved notable success in pop, Latin, and jazz genres.

She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with husband, Steve Lawrence, on albums and television.

She also performed on Broadway and in Las Vegas.

Born in the Bronx, New York, Gormé began her career singing in a band on weekends while working as a translator.

She gained prominence after appearing on the radio program "Cita Con Eydie" and changing her name for easier pronunciation.

Gormé's career took off in the early 1950s, starting with her two-month stint with the Tommy Tucker band, followed by a year with Tex Beneke's band.

Gormé sang with the Tommy Tucker band for two months in 1950, followed by a year with Tex Beneke's band.

She signed with Coral Records in 1952, releasing her first single and later joining "The Tonight Show" where she met Lawrence.

The duo's success included hits like "Too Close for Comfort" and "Blame It on the Bossa Nova," with Gormé also achieving solo success and earning Grammy Awards and nominations.

She signed as a solo act with Coral Records in 1952 and released her first single, "That Night of Heaven".

She was hired by The Tonight Show in its early days with Steve Allen and formed a duo with another one of its staff singers, Steve Lawrence.

As The Tonight Show was beginning to broadcast across the country in 1954, the duo released their first single, "Make Yourself Comfortable/I've Gotta Crow".

Gormé had her first chart hit, "Too Close for Comfort", in 1956 after moving from Coral to ABC-Paramount Records.

Two more hits followed.

"Mama, Teach Me to Dance" and "Love Me Forever" reached the Top 40 singles chart while her albums Eydie Gorme and Eydie Swings the Blues reached the Top 20 albums chart.

Her marriage to Lawrence in 1957 marked the beginning of a lifelong personal and professional partnership, celebrated with their Emmy-winning television specials and performances alongside stars like Frank Sinatra.

Gormé was renowned for her recordings in Spanish, particularly with Trio Los Panchos, which solidified her international fame.

Her versatility was evident in her wide-ranging discography, which includes albums like "Amor" and "Eydie Swings the Blues."

Gormé's contributions to music were recognized with awards, including a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and a Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gormé was born in the Bronx to Sephardic Jewish parents Nessim Hasdai Gormezano and Fortuna "Fortunee" Gormezano.

Both her parents were born in Turkey.

After graduating from high school, she attended night classes at City College.

After high school, Gormé worked as a translator, but on weekends she sang in a band led by Ken Greengrass.

She appeared on the Spanish-language radio program Cita Con Eydie (A Date with Eydie), changing her name from "Edith" to "Edie" and then "Eydie" because people mispronounced "Edie".

She considered changing her last name, but her mother told her, "It's bad enough that you're in show business. How will the neighbors know if you're ever a success?"

In 1957, Gormé and Lawrence were married, and several months later they hosted Steve Allen Presents the Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gormé Show after Allen retired from The Tonight Show.

Three more singles by Gormé and two more albums became chart hits.

In 1960 they sang in clubs and released We Got Us, their first album as a duo.

They received a Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group for the title track from the album.

Gormé recorded "Yes My Darling Daughter" for Columbia Records, and it reached the Top Ten in the UK.

In 1963, she reached the Top Ten in the U.S. with "Blame It on the Bossa Nova".

The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Vocal Performance and was certified gold after selling one million copies.

The album Blame It on the Bossa Nova entered the Top 40 with four more hit singles during the same year.

Two were recorded as the duo Steve & Eydie.

She recorded the Spanish albums Amor and More Amor with the Trio Los Panchos.

Then she turned to show tunes.

"If He Walked Into My Life" was an Easy Listening hit in 1966 and earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Steve and Eydie moved on to Broadway, starring in the musical Golden Rainbow based on the play A Hole in the Head.

"How Could I Be So Wrong" by Gormé, which was performed in the musical, was a hit on the Easy Listening chart.

The musical had a successful one-year run.