Eydie Gorme

Eydie Gormé, born Edith Gormezano on August 16, 1928, in The Bronx, New York, is a Latin pop music singer whose career spanned over six decades. Equally proficient in English and Spanish, her versatile repertoire earned her international acclaim, and she became a beloved figure in both American pop and Latin music. She began her career in the 1950s singing with the Tommy Tucker band, landing a record deal with Coral Records in 1952. "That Night of Heaven," her debut single, was released later that year. During this time, she rose to fame as a big band singer on the popular Tonight Show with Steve Allen. It was here that she met her future husband and lifelong professional partner, Steve Lawrence. Dubbed "Steve and Eydie," the couple's melodious duets and charming chemistry quickly captivated audiences across the United States. Simultaneously, Eydie Gormé continued to gain popularity through her solo work, releasing the hit singles "Too Close for Comfort" (1956), "Mama, Teach Me to Dance" (1956), and "Love Me Forever" (1957) and landing two albums—1957's Eydie Gorme and Eydie Swings the Blues—on the US Top 20. We Got Us, Steve & Eydie's debut LP, saw the light in 1960 and won a Grammy award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group. Released in 1963, her Brazilian-tinged breakout hit "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" cracked the Top 10 of the US pop charts. In 1966, her easy listening hit "If He Walked Into My Life" won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category at the Annual Grammy Awards. Over the following years, Eydie Gormé conquered the Latin American market with a series of collaborative albums with Trío Los Panchos, including Amor (1964), More Amor (1965), Navidad Means Christmas (1966), Canta en Español (1970), and Cuatro Vidas (1970). Her career slowed in the late 1970s, but she still emerged with significant releases like Since I Fell For You (1981), De Corazón a Corazón (1988), and Eso Es el Amor (1992) before officially retiring in 2009. Eydie Gormé passed away at the age of 84 on August 10, 2013.