Crooner Steve Lawrence, known for performing alongside his late wife Eydie Gormé as the duo Steve & Eydie, has died at age 88, a family rep confirmed to AP. Lawrence had Alzheimer’s disease, and his cause of death was revealed to be complications from the illness.
Lawrence and Gormé first began performing on “The Tonight Show” as Steve & Eydie in 1960. Their album “We’ve Got Us” won a Grammy, and Lawrence also found success as a solo artist two years later when he released the chart-topper “Go Away Little Girl.” He was resistant to embracing rock ‘n’ roll when it began sweeping the nation in the late ’50s, with AP noting that he once told an interviewer he wanted to keep Frank Sinatra’s vocal legacy alive. He and Gormé even got to perform with Sinatra in 1990 and 1991 when they joined him for his Diamond Jubilee World Tour. Some younger audiences might also remember Lawrence from his role as booking agent Maury Sline in the beloved 1980 comedy “The Blues Brothers.”
Among those mourning the performer was Carol Burnett, who got to know Lawrence when he appeared on “The Carol Burnett Show.” She told AP that she loved working with him, adding, “He was also my very close friend. He will always be in my heart.”
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Source: NewsFinale
