Eydie Gormé
Eydie Gormé
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Eydie Gormé

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Eydie Gormé

Eydie Gormé (/ˈdi/ EE-dee; 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 her 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. 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 the hits "Too Close for Comfort" and "Blame It on the Bossa Nova", with Gormé also achieving solo success and earning Grammy Awards and nominations.

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 such as 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 such as 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. Her father was from Sicily and changed his name to Gormé when he arrived in the US. Both her parents were born in Turkey of Spanish descent, and Gormé grew up speaking English and Spanish.

After graduating from William Howard Taft High School, she attended night classes at City College.

After high school, Gormé worked as a Spanish interpreter, 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?"

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

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