Steve Lawrence, of Steve & Eydie, has died at 88. The son of a Jewish cantor his own professional singing career began when we was 15 and won a spot on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts on his third attempt. He was signed to King Records while still in High School and his first album sold 100 thousand copies. He became a regular, then cast member on Steve Allen’s Television show, which evolved into the Tonight Show format still prominent today. Eydie Gorme joined the cast in 1953 and after performing together for several years she and Lawrence were married in 1957.
Though known as a duo both would have hits as soloists They had a TV show as a couple in 1957, and Lawrence had one on his own in 1965. They kept the spirit of Tin Pan Alley and songwriting alive through the rock era, with a throwback concentration on songwriters and wholesome, familiar personas. They loved Gershwin, Porter, Kern, and the great songwriters of bygone days. Their own hits were written by the Brill Building equivalents in their own era. For decades they appeared in Las Vegas, on the nightclub circuit, and made many appearances on television, including TV specials, and the late night variety shows where they got their start. Lawrence also had a career as an actor, appearing on Broadway in the 60s and in more recent years in several television programs and movies. He continued touring after Eydie died in 2013, only retiring apon his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2019.
