Steve Lawrence, Legendary Steve & Eydie Singer, Dead At 88
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."
Steve was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019
News of Steve Lawrence's Alzheimer's diagnosis first broke in 2019, and it was the performer himself who addressed it. In a letter published by People at the time, he shared that the disease had been diagnosed early, and that as a result, his healthcare providers were doing what they could to prolong the onset of more serious symptoms. In the meantime, he added, "I'm living my life, going out in public and trying to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends while I am still able to engage and enjoy."
Though undoubtedly heartbreaking, Steve also shared in his letter that he'd lived an exceptionally full life and was grateful for everything he accomplished both personal and professionally. Among his most prized achievements was his relationship with wife Eydie Gormé. "With my beloved Eydie, I had one of the great loves of all time," he gushed. Steve's death comes just over a decade after Gormé's passing. The famous couple had been together for decades — close to 60 years, to be exact.
The couple is survived by their eldest son, "High School Musical 3" composer David Nessim Lawrence. Their youngest child, Michael Robert Lawrence, passed away in 1986, when he was just 23-years-old. At the time, UPI reported that he had an irregular heartbeat. We're keeping David in our thoughts.