With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Singer Eydie Gorme Dies At 84 In Las Vegas
Eydie Gorme, the Grammy- and Emmy-winning nightclub performer who often sang with her husband Steve Lawrence, has passed away in Las Vegas at age 84, just shy of her 85th birthday.
She died today at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas following a brief, undisclosed illness, her publicist, Howard Bragman, told Fox News. Lawrence, the couple's son David and other loved ones were by her side when she died, Bragman said.
"Eydie has been my partner on stage and in life for more than 55 years," Lawrence said in a statement. "I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and even more the first time I heard her sing. While my personal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time."
Stars including Tony Bennett and Joe Mantegna paid tribute to her on Twitter.
Support for LAist comes from
America has lost a great vocalist. RIP Eydie Gorme.
— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) August 11, 2013
Eydie Gorme' had the perfect voice and could kill it in English and Spanish!
— Joe Mantegna (@JoeMantegna) August 11, 2013
Gorme joined Steve Allen's New York TV show in 1953, performing duets and comedy skits with Lawrence. When the program became NBC's Tonight Show, in 1954, the duo went with it. They married in 1957 and later hosted The Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme Show, a summer replacement for Allen.
One of her biggest hits was 1963's "Blame It On the Bossa Nova," followed by the Spanish-language song "Amor" in 1964. She won a Grammy Award in 1967, for her version of "If He Walked Into My Life," from Mame.
She and Lawrence recorded a best-selling, breezy Christmas album, "That Holiday Feeling" in 1964 that was as much of a holiday staple in some households as Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra.
Billed simply as "Steve and Eydie," the two appeared at nightclubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Las Vegas, combining music with comedy bits. In 1960, they won a joint Grammy for the album, "We Got Us." Their biggest hit single as a duo, "I Want to Stay Here," was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and reached #28 in 1963.
They were staples on early TV, appearing on game shows and variety shows. Gorme also hosted The Kraft Music Hall for NBC in the late '60s and The Hollywood Palace on ABC in 1970.
Support for LAist comes from
You might remember the duo being parodied on Saturday Night Live in the '90s as part of "The Sinatra Group," with Victoria Jackson as Gorme and Mike Myers as Lawrence.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist