Steve Lawrence, the 50s and 60s filmmaker, actor and comedian who teamed up with his wife Eydie Gormé to form the duo Steve and Eydie, has died aged 88.
Lawrence died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease, a family spokesman said. Variety; Lawrence was forced to retire from touring after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019.
“My dad was an inspiration to so many people,” his son David Lawrence said in a statement. “But, to me, he was just this charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot. Sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife. I am so lucky to have had him as a father and so proud to be his son. I hope his contribution to the entertainment industry will be remembered for many years to come.”
New York-born Lawrence got his start in show business as an 18-year-old singer hired by Steve Allen's Late Night Show in 1953. A year later, the program was renamed The Tonight Show, with Allen as its first host. While in The Tonight ShowLawrence met fellow singer and castmate Aidy Gormey, with the pair marrying in 1957.
The pair embarked on a recording career together in addition to their television appearances – after Allen left the Tonight showthe duo briefly launched their own The Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé Show — with Steve and Eydie releasing a string of singles in the late '50s and early '60s. Steve and Eydie also won a pair of Grammys for Best Performance by a Vocal Duo or Group.
While Lawrence and Gormé remained married and continued to perform together until Gormé's death in 2013, Lawrence also enjoyed his own solo career that included a handful of Top 10 singles such as “Party Doll,” “Pretty Blue Eyes “, “Footsteps” and “Go Away Little Girl”, which hit Number One in 1962.
In the decades that followed, Lawrence was a fixture on the small screen, appearing on such programs as The Carol Burnett Show, What's My Line? and his own variety show. Lawrence also appeared on Broadway, starring in and earning a Tony Award nomination for his role in the 1964 musical What makes Sammy Run?
On the big screen, Lawrence is best known for playing talent manager Maury Sline in the 1980s. Blues Brothersa role he would later reprise in 1998 Blues Brothers 2000. Lawrence was also a longtime friend of Frank Sinatra. their friendship was mistaken for a loved one Saturday night live sketch, where Mike Myers portrayed Lawrence to Phil Hartman's Sinatra.
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