Steve Lawrence, the entertainer who spent decades as one-half of the iconic singing duo Steve and Eydie with wife Eydie Gorme, has died at 88.
According to his son David, Lawrence passed away on Thursday as a result of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Lawrence Dies at 88
David released a statement following his father's passing and said his dad inspired many people. However, for him, his father was just a charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot and, sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife.
He added that he was lucky to have Lawrence as a father and is so proud to be his son. He hoped his contributions to the entertainment industry would be recognized for many years.
Michael, the eldest of their sons, died in 1986. Later, Gorme died in 2013.
Lawrence is survived by his son David Lawrence, an Emmy-nominated composer, daughter-in-law Faye, granddaughter Mabel, and brother Bernie.
David recently produced a documentary about his parents titled Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé: Memories of My Mom & Dad, which debuted in December on PBS.
The funeral will be private, and the family has asked that donations be sent to an Alzheimer's charity instead of flowers.
(Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Breakthrough of 'Steve and Eydie'
Lawrence and his wife, Gorme, were a part of one of the most popular singing duos in the country back in the day. In the 1950s, Lawrence and Gorme performed together until 2009, when Gorme announced her retirement.
Lawrence and Gorme's vocals were featured on several variety and late-night shows, such as The Judy Garland Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, Night Gallery, The Danny Kaye Show, The Tonight Show, and many others.
He and his wife also performed at Las Vegas nightclubs and played sold-out gigs at Carnegie Hall in the 1980s. Lawrence served his opening act on Ol' Blue Eyes' Diamond Jubilee tour.
Lawrence's 1962 single, Go Away, Little Girl, which peaked at No. 1 on the charts, is his biggest-selling single from his solo career. Between 1952 and 1966, he also had 33 singles on the Billboard list, five of which made it into the top 10.
As an actor, Lawrence received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the Broadway Musical What Makes Sammy Run. He also co-starred with Eydie in another musical, Golden Rainbow.
He was awarded a Primetime Emmy for a TV special honoring Irving Berlin. He also had other TV credits on shows, including The Nanny and Hot in Cleveland.
Lawrence made numerous TV appearances, from Two and a Half Men to CSI. He also appeared as Morty Fine, Fran Drescher's character's enigmatic father in The Nanny.
Furthermore, he made numerous big-screen film cameos in The Blues Brothers (1980) with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi and in its 2000 follow-up with Aykroyd and John Goodman.
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