Posted: 3/7/24 at 3:09pm
The wonderful Tony-nominated actor and singer Steve Lawrence (the "Steve" of "Steve & Eydie" and the star of Broadway's Golden Rainbow and What Makes Sammy Run?) has passed away at age 88 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019.
Official obit:
Lawrence was born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of a cantor, and at 16 years old, won Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts competition, beginning what would be a long, storied career in show business. He met his future wife, singer Eydie Gorme, on Steve Allen's Tonight Show, where they were both regulars, and in 1957, they made their singing partnership a permanent one by marrying in Las Vegas.
In the 1960s, Steve & Eydie performed their act in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Miami, as well as on all the top variety programs, including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Hollywood Palace. Lawrence was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance on Broadway in "What Makes Sammy Run?" and the duo starred in Golden Rainbow, a highlight of the 1968/69 Broadway season. Lawrence appeared regularly in the 1970s on his dear friend Carol Burnett's variety show. His comedy sketches continue to be some of the highlights of that classic series. And with his wife, Lawrence produced and starred in three television specials- tributes to the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin- which won the duo numerous Emmy Awards.
In the 1980s, Steve & Eydie appeared at Carnegie Hall for a series of sold-out concerts. For the couple who were both born and raised in New York, coming “home” to Carnegie Hall was a high point in an already illustrious career. All the while, Lawrence was also appearing on television and in movies, displaying a gift for acting that was nothing short of exceptional. His performance in The Blues Brothers is one of his most memorable. In the 1990s, Steve & Eydie embarked on an international tour with the legendary Frank Sinatra, who regularly boasted he considered them both to be “the best."
- Playbill Obituary - https://www.playbill.com/article/steve-lawrence-of-steve-and-eydie-dies-at-88
- "Golden Rainbow" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shmlJ83CWts
- "The Start of Something Big" with Eydie Gorme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj5IAzbkVvw
- "Not Even Nominated" with Sammy Davis Jr (in honor of Oscar Weekend's approach) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZkOHcjyak
Updated On: 3/7/24 at 03:09 PM
