Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence ( born July 8, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York; actually Sidney Liebowitz ) is an American pop singer, entertainer and actor. He became known through some charts successes in the 60s and shows together with his wife Eydie Gormé.
Biography
Steve Lawrence is the son of Jewish parents and as a child sang in the local synagogue, where his father was a cantor. He followed the music determinedly, as a teenager he learned the piano and saxophone, he sang in school and competed at record companies. In 1951, he won at a local television talent show the first prize and a year later he had a recording contract with King Records. By its second single, a recording of an older hits with the title Poinciana, he ended up with only 16, even in the U.S. bestseller charts.
In 1953 he was hired as a singer for the precursor of the Tonight Show by Steve Allen and became locally and from September 1954 well known nationally. There he also met with the singer Eydie Gormé. The two gave a congenial duo, not only as a singer and entertainer. In 1957 they were also a couple.
In addition to the show took Lawrence, now at Coral Records, further solo and in duet with Gormé songs and in 1957 he succeeded with his version of the Banana Boat songs return to the charts. With the follow-up single Party Doll, previously a number 1 hit for Buddy Knox, he had his first Top 10 hit with the album Here 's Steve Lawrence he came first time in 1958 in the album charts.
Meanwhile, he and Gormé had further television appearances and in the summer of 1958 she had Allen's show together with the moderator for two months his own show.
After Lawrence had to start a two -year military service he was allowed to serve as lead singer of the military band, and during which he could continue to make recordings and continue his chart career. Among other things he had with the mitgeschriebenen by Barry Mann number Footsteps not just another top 10 hit in the U.S., but also his first hit in the UK.
After the army time the common stage career began with his wife. He also participated in 1960, the first joint LP with it on. For the title song We Got Us they got a Grammy as a duo for the best vocal performance of the year. Two further label changes and numerous other successful recordings. With the single Portrait of My Love, he had it in 1961 not just another top 10 hit, they brought him a Grammy nomination. Then the pair signed with Columbia Records in 1962, where they could work with songwriters like Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The former were both writing for Gormé their biggest hit Blame It on the Bossa Nova and Goffin and King wrote for Steve Lawrence Go Away Little Girl. This song also became his biggest hit, selling over a million copies, reaching # 1 on the 1963 U.S. charts. Together they had with I Want to Stay Here with 3rd place their biggest hit in the UK. Thereafter, however, came up with the Beatles and the British pop music and the music of Lawrence was ousted in the Easy Listening charts, where it was placed in 1961 a total of 30 times.
Lawrence sought at this time for a new challenge as a musical singer and he played from 1964 to 1965 successfully in over 500 performances of the Broadway musical What Makes Sammy Run?, Which earned him a Critics Award and a Tony nomination. In the meantime, he tried then on television with his own The Steve Lawrence Show, but was not very successful and was discontinued after a few months. This was followed by joint stage shows with his wife and in 1968/69 the common musical Golden Rainbow, which brought it in less than one year to 385 performances on Broadway.
Besides Bühenauftritten and recordings the two had in the years to come time and again television appearances. Were particularly successful their television specials about famous American song writer. In 1978 the memorial show Steve and Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin was awarded the same seven Emmys. Two other Emmys they got to the show about George and Ira Gershwin.
From the mid- 70s, Steve Lawrence also tried as an actor. In Blues Brothers and, later in the sequel Blues Brothers 2000 he had a minor role and he played in several well-known television series such as Hardcastle & McCormick, Frasier or The Nanny in two late episodes as the father of the main character with.
At that time, he and Gormé also settled in Las Vegas where they stood for many years on stage, alone ten years as a main show at Caesars Palace. Four times they won it the Las Vegas Entertainment Award for Musical Variety Act of the Year. Lawrence and Gormé are immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored for lifetime achievement from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The couple Lawrence Gormé has a son, David Lawrence, who is a successful film composer (eg American Pie 2 and High School Musical) and also worked as a music producer with his parents. Another son named Michael died in 1986 at the age of 23 years.
Discography
Albums
- Steve Lawrence ( 1953)
- About That Girl ( 1955)
- Songs by Steve Lawrence ( 1956)
- Here's Steve Lawrence (1958, U.S. # 19)
- All About Love (1958 )
- Swing Softly With Me (1960 )
- The Steve Lawrence Sound (1960 )
- Lawrence Goes Latin (1960 )
- Portrait of My Love (1961, U.S. # 76)
- Winners! (1963, U.S. # 27)
- Academy Award Losers (1964, U.S. # 135)
- Everybody Knows (1964, U.S. # 73)
- What Makes Sammy Run? (1964, U.S. # 28)
- The Steve Lawrence Show (1965, U.S. # 133)
- Together on Broadway (1967, U.S. # 136)
- Real True Lovin ' (1969, U.S. # 188)
- What It Was, Was Love (1969, U.S. # 141)
Steve & Eydie
- Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence Sing the Golden Hits (1960 )
- That Holiday Feeling (1964 )
Singles
- Poinciana (1952, U.S. # 24)
- The Banana Boat Song (1957, U.S. # 18)
- Party Doll (1957, U.S. # 5)
- ( The Bad Donkey ) Pum - Pa - Lum (1957, U.S. # 45)
- Can not Wait for Summer (1957, U.S. # 42)
- Fabulous (1957, U.S. # 71)
- Uh- Huh, Oh Yeah (1958, U.S. # 73)
- Many A Time (1958, U.S. # 97)
- ( I Do not Care ) Only Love Me (1959, U.S. # 62)
- Pretty Blue Eyes (1960, U.S. # 9)
- Footsteps (1960, U.S. # 7, UK # 4)
- Girls, Girls, Girls (1960, UK # 49)
- Portrait of My Love (1961, U.S. # 9)
- My Claire de lune (1961, U.S. # 68)
- In Time (1961, U.S. # 94)
- Somewhere Along the Way (1961, U.S. # 67)
- Go Away Little Girl (1962, U.S. # 1)
- Do not Be Afraid, Little Darlin ' (1963, U.S. # 26)
- Poor Little Rich Girl (1963, U.S. # 27)
- Walking Proud (1963, U.S. # 26)
- Everybody Knows (1964, U.S. # 72)
- I've Gotta Be Me (1968 )
Steve & Eydie
- Make Yourself Comfortable / I've Gotta Crow (1954 )
- I Want to Stay Here (1963, U.S. # 28, UK # 3)
- I Can not Stop Talking About You (1963, U.S. # 35)
- Hallelujah ( 1979, Parker & Penny)