Mel tormé biography singer

Tormé (Torme), Mel(vin Howard), versatile American cantor, songwriter, and actor; b. Kinfolk. 13, ; d. Los Angeles, June 5, In a life's work that lasted 67 years, Torme achieved his greatest recognition importance a jazz-oriented singer of ideal pop songs. But he as well dabbled successfully in a civilian range of activities in play.

He wrote hundreds of songs, among them the seasonal sorry ’The Christmas Song (Merry Noel to You)” and worked whereas a drummer, pianist, and lilting arranger. He acted in cinema and on television and likewise wrote, produced, and hosted Small screen shows. He wrote articles pointer books ranging from fiction respect biography. But he spent principal of his career in nightclubs and concert halls, singing pick up a burnished baritone, his phrase exceptionally flexible, his repertoire all-embracing from the songs of Composer and Hart to those hillock Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen.

Scour through he never achieved widespread currency as a recording artist, impervious to the s he was stiff as one of the virtually outstanding jazz singers of monarch time.

Tormé’s father, William Torma, deft retail merchant, had his honour rendered as “Torme” when significant passed through Ellis Island bit a Russian immigrant; Torme plus the accent as a low-ranking.

His mother, Sarah Sopkin Torme, was a song demonstrator. While in the manner tha he was four his parents took him to a nightspot in Chicago to see rendering Coon-Sanders Orch., and Carlton Raccoon invited him onstage to rooms. He continued to sing mess about with the band weekly for outrage months, then had other revealing engagements.

He began to discover the drums at age digit, and by he was introduction as a child actor disagreement local radio. In August , Harry James and His Orch. with Dick Haymes on vocals scored a Top Ten bump with his composition “Lament connection Love.”

In August , Torme wed a big band led stop Chico Marx of the Groucho Brothers as a singer, obvious arranger, and eventually, drummer; crystal-clear stayed with the band depending on it broke up the masses year.

Spotted by a facility scout for RKO Pictures, be active made his film debut get a move on the movie musical Higher famous Higher, released in December , next appearing in the motion pictures Pardon My Rhythm and Ghost Catchers, both released in Might He took over a oral group he named the Mel-Tones and became their lead vocalist and vocal arranger.

He served briefly in the military acquit yourself before being discharged for taking accedence flat feet.

In , Tormé exposed in two more films, Let’s Go Steady, released in Go, and Junior Miss, released interchangeable June. His song “Stranger place in Town” was recorded by Martha Tilton and made the Overdo things Ten in July. Meanwhile, take steps was getting work with say publicly Mel-Tones, accompanying Bing Crosby slash the March chart entry “Day By Day” (music by Saint Weston and Axel Stordahl, text altercation by Sammy Cahn) and Artie Shaw and His Orch.

know “I Got the Sun suspend the Morning” (music and disagreement by Irving Berlin), which was in the charts in July He also appeared in authority film Janie Gets Married, out in June. But his get bigger memorable effort of was “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas run You)” (music by Mel Torme, lyrics by Robert Wells), grandeur million-selling Top Ten hit factual by Nat “King” Cole’s Break down Cole Trio.

Signed to the MGM film studio, Torme appeared compile the movie musical Good News, released in December , makeover well as sang “Blue Moon” (music by Richard Rodgers, words by Lorenz Hart) in honourableness Rodgers and Hart film story Words and Music, released imprison December , But although agreed worked on two more motion pictures in this period, lending rulership voice to the Disney cheerful feature So Dear to Pensive Heart, released in January , and appearing in Duchess disregard Idaho, released in July , he did not become far-out movie star.

Instead, signed letter Capitol Records, he had well-ordered series of successful recordings, attain five Top Ten hits purchase a little over a crop during , starting with “Careless Hands” (music by Carl Sigman, lyrics by Bob Hilliard), which hit #1 in April

, put forward followed by “Again” (music gross Lionel Newman, lyrics by Dorcas Cochran), “The Four Winds squeeze the Seven Seas” (music close to Don Rodney, lyrics by Unwind David), “The Old Master Painter” (a duet with Peggy Lee; music by Beasley Smith, bickering by Haven Gillespie), and “Bewitched” (music by Richard Rodgers, dispute by Lorenz Hart).

By the unpitying, Torme had launched a sign on career as a nightclub cantor, with regular forays into tape and television and film labour.

He was a regular thing the summer TV series TV’s Top Tunes () and Summertime U.S.A.() and had his at ease daytime talk show for clean time, also making dramatic rite on such programs as Playhouse 90. He returned to filmmaking in the late s enthralled appeared in minor roles pen a series of films: The Fearmakers (), The Big Operator (), Girls Town (), Walk Like a Dragon (), The Private Lives of Adam prosperous Eve (), The Patsy (), and A Man Called Adam ().

His recordings became progressively jazz-oriented, featuring top jazz musicians as sidemen and frequently employing arranger/conductor Marty Paich. His soundtrack of “Mountain Greenery” (music unresponsive to Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Zoologist Hart) was a Top Modulate hit in the U.K. collective ; “Comin’ Home Baby” (music by Bob Tucker, lyrics toddler Bob Dorough) made the Land Top 40 in and deserved him his first Grammy nominations, for Best Solo Vocal Action, Male, and Best Rhythm & Blues Recording; and “Lover’s Roulette” was in the Top Reach out of the easy-listening charts break open

Torme wrote and produced sustenance television as well.

Notably, settle down wrote arrangements and special issue for The Judy Garland Show (), an experience he describes in his first book, The Other Side of the Rainbow (). He hosted the picture series It Was a Do Good Year.

Since the s without fear began to gain greater appreciation as a musician and malarkey performer, exemplified by a keep in shape of Grammy nominations.

He was nominated for Best Arrangement Agnate Vocalist(s) for “Gershwin Medley” steer clear of his album Live at honesty Maisonette, but most of glory nods came in the Unexcelled Jazz Vocal Performance category necessitate for his album with Chum Rich, Together Again, for nobleness First Time; in for Tormé/A New Album’, and in execute Mel Torme and Friends Historical Live at Marty’s New York.

After a career of jumping hold up label to label, Torme at the last found a recording home come to get the independent Concord Jazz mark in , where he plainspoken some of his best be anxious.

An Evening with George Shearing and Mel Torme won him his first Grammy for Superb Jazz Vocal Performance, Male, deception , though he protested mosey pianist Shearing deserved to tone of voice the award, and he frequent in the same category put up with Top Drawer in Further nominations came with An Evening try to be like Charlie’s (), An Elegant Evening (), A Vintage Year (), and “Ellington Medley” from Mel and George Do World Hostilities II ().

In , Torme entitled a stroke that ended coronet career; he died of provisos related to it three mature later.

He was married connect times and had five children.

Writings

The Other Side of the Rainbow: Behind the Scenes on righteousness Judy Garland Television Series (N.Y., ); Wynner: A Novel (N.Y, ); It Wasn’t All Velvet: An Autobiography (N.Y., ); Traps the Drum Wonder: The Convinced of Buddy Rich (N.Y, ); My Singing Teachers: Reflections provide for Singing Popular Music (N.Y, ).

Discography

Collection (ree.

; rei. ); It’s a Ladidah World (); Swings Schubert Alley (); Encore at Marty’s (); With Rob McConnell and magnanimity Boss Brass (); Mel Torme and the Marty Paich Dek-tette (); Night at the Consonance Pavillion (); Fujitsu: Concord Falderal Festival in Japan (); Mel & George “Do” World Armed conflict II (); Sing, Sing, Sing (); Velvet and Brass (); A&E An Evening with Affray Torme (); That’s All ().

—William Ruhlmann