Steve and Eydie

 

Earlier this week, we lost singer and actor Steve Lawrence, who passed away at 88 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.  Lawrence was best remembered as one half of Steve and Eydie, a married musical duo who entertained generations in concert halls and nightclubs the world over.

They first met in the mid-1950s, when they were both cast members on what is today called The Tonight Show.  They were married in 1957 and spent the next five decades touring the world with their own unique blend of pop culture hits. 

She was born Edith Goremano in the Bronx, New York, on August 16, 1928. Her parents had emigrated from Turkey, and Eydie was from the first generation born in America.  

After high school, she worked as a Spanish translator, but had her eye on music.  She had her first hit in 1956, Too Close for Comfort.  She'd follow it up one year later with the singles Mama, Teach Me to Dance and Love Me Forever.  Over the course of their career, the duo released thirteen albums together.

Eydie Gorme Lawrence passed away on August 10, 2013, one week shy of her 85th birthday.  Steve issued the following statement.

"Eydie has been my partner on stage and in my life for more than 55 years.  I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and even more the first time I heard her sing.  While my personal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time."

Eydie was entombed at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.  The currently vacant slot next to her is reserved for Steve himself, and as her marker declares, they will soon be reunited.

Rest in peace Eydie...and Steve.

Trivia

• The inscription on Eydie's marker contains a verse from one of the couple's greatest hits, Our Love is Here to Stay.  Take a listen to it on YouTube.
  
  
• Steve and Eydie had two children together, one of whom passed away from a heart ailment at just 23 years old.  The grieving couple did not perform for over a year following his death