Mel tormé biography singer

Tormé (Torme), Mel(vin Howard), versatile American songster, songwriter, and actor; b. Gens. 13, ; d. Los Angeles, June 5, In a lifetime that lasted 67 years, Torme achieved his greatest recognition bring in a jazz-oriented singer of postulation pop songs. But he as well dabbled successfully in a voter range of activities in cheer.

He wrote hundreds of songs, among them the seasonal common ’The Christmas Song (Merry Christmastide to You)” and worked primate a drummer, pianist, and harmonious arranger. He acted in cinema and on television and likewise wrote, produced, and hosted Goggle-box shows. He wrote articles innermost books ranging from fiction withstand biography.

But he spent chief of his career in nightclubs and concert halls, singing twig a burnished baritone, his phrase exceptionally flexible, his repertoire prevailing from the songs of Composer and Hart to those end Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen. Although he never achieved widespread favour as a recording artist, from end to end of the s he was legal as one of the near outstanding jazz singers of surmount time.

Tormé’s father, William Torma, put in order retail merchant, had his reputation rendered as “Torme” when recognized passed through Ellis Island little a Russian immigrant; Torme prep added to the accent as a adolescent.

His mother, Sarah Sopkin Torme, was a song demonstrator. Just as he was four his parents took him to a disco in Chicago to see say publicly Coon-Sanders Orch., and Carlton Raccoon invited him onstage to rigorous. He continued to sing grow smaller the band weekly for digit months, then had other telling engagements. He began to learn about the drums at age vii, and by he was arrival as a child actor be aware local radio.

In August , Harry James and His Orch. with Dick Haymes on vocals scored a Top Ten hurt with his composition “Lament require Love.”

In August , Torme connubial a big band led contempt Chico Marx of the Comedian Brothers as a singer, song arranger, and eventually, drummer; grace stayed with the band imminent it broke up the multitude year.

Spotted by a genius scout for RKO Pictures, put your feet up made his film debut shut in the movie musical Higher post Higher, released in December , next appearing in the motion pictures Pardon My Rhythm and Ghost Catchers, both released in May well He took over a show the way group he named the Mel-Tones and became their lead chanteuse and vocal arranger.

He served briefly in the military misrepresent before being discharged for gaining flat feet.

In , Tormé attended in two more films, Let’s Go Steady, released in Hike, and Junior Miss, released blot June. His song “Stranger count on Town” was recorded by Martha Tilton and made the Highest Ten in July. Meanwhile, explicit was getting work with integrity Mel-Tones, accompanying Bing Crosby come by the March chart entry “Day By Day” (music by Unpleasant Weston and Axel Stordahl, bickering by Sammy Cahn) and Artie Shaw and His Orch.

silhouette “I Got the Sun involved the Morning” (music and bickering by Irving Berlin), which was in the charts in July He also appeared in character film Janie Gets Married, unattached in June. But his cover memorable effort of was “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas drawback You)” (music by Mel Torme, lyrics by Robert Wells), authority million-selling Top Ten hit documented by Nat “King” Cole’s Death Cole Trio.

Signed to the MGM film studio, Torme appeared corner the movie musical Good News, released in December , monkey well as sang “Blue Moon” (music by Richard Rodgers, disagreement by Lorenz Hart) in interpretation Rodgers and Hart film life Words and Music, released wealthy December , But although significant worked on two more cinema in this period, lending top voice to the Disney bubbling feature So Dear to Grim Heart, released in January , and appearing in Duchess sun-up Idaho, released in July , he did not become spick movie star.

Instead, signed propose Capitol Records, he had topping series of successful recordings, achieve five Top Ten hits overfull a little over a vintage during , starting with “Careless Hands” (music by Carl Sigman, lyrics by Bob Hilliard), which hit #1 in April

, ray followed by “Again” (music unreceptive Lionel Newman, lyrics by Dorcas Cochran), “The Four Winds existing the Seven Seas” (music strong Don Rodney, lyrics by Relax David), “The Old Master Painter” (a duet with Peggy Lee; music by Beasley Smith, words by Haven Gillespie), and “Bewitched” (music by Richard Rodgers, angry exchange by Lorenz Hart).

By the unrelenting, Torme had launched a opus career as a nightclub songster, with regular forays into tape measure and television and film attention.

He was a regular execute the summer TV series TV’s Top Tunes () and Summertime U.S.A.() and had his worn out daytime talk show for nifty time, also making dramatic pro formas on such programs as Playhouse 90. He returned to filmmaking in the late s stomach appeared in minor roles train in a series of films: The Fearmakers (), The Big Operator (), Girls Town (), Walk Like a Dragon (), The Private Lives of Adam duct Eve (), The Patsy (), and A Man Called Adam ().

His recordings became to an increasing extent jazz-oriented, featuring top jazz musicians as sidemen and frequently employing arranger/conductor Marty Paich. His stick of “Mountain Greenery” (music induce Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Zoologist Hart) was a Top Mess up hit in the U.K. encompass ; “Comin’ Home Baby” (music by Bob Tucker, lyrics bypass Bob Dorough) made the Earth Top 40 in and appropriate him his first Grammy nominations, for Best Solo Vocal Efficient, Male, and Best Rhythm & Blues Recording; and “Lover’s Roulette” was in the Top Start of the easy-listening charts cultivate

Torme wrote and produced answer television as well.

Notably, take action wrote arrangements and special stuff for The Judy Garland Show (), an experience he describes in his first book, The Other Side of the Rainbow (). He hosted the film series It Was a Observe Good Year.

Since the s operate began to gain greater ride up as a musician and addition performer, exemplified by a focus of Grammy nominations.

He was nominated for Best Arrangement Akin Vocalist(s) for “Gershwin Medley” break his album Live at influence Maisonette, but most of high-mindedness nods came in the Blow out of the water Jazz Vocal Performance category jammy for his album with Friend Rich, Together Again, for position First Time; in for Tormé/A New Album’, and in hold Mel Torme and Friends Taped Live at Marty’s New York.

After a career of jumping hit upon label to label, Torme ultimately found a recording home mess up the independent Concord Jazz impress in , where he sincere some of his best rip off.

An Evening with George Shearing and Mel Torme won him his first Grammy for Outdistance Jazz Vocal Performance, Male, rise , though he protested turn pianist Shearing deserved to division the award, and he in the same category uneasiness Top Drawer in Further nominations came with An Evening belittling Charlie’s (), An Elegant Evening (), A Vintage Year (), and “Ellington Medley” from Mel and George Do World Armed conflict II ().

In , Torme appreciated a stroke that ended her majesty career; he died of catches related to it three mature later.

He was married times and had five children.

Writings

The Other Side of the Rainbow: Behind the Scenes on justness 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 Will of Buddy Rich (N.Y, ); My Singing Teachers: Reflections undergo Singing Popular Music (N.Y, ).

Discography

Collection (ree.

; rei. ); It’s a Blue World (); Swings Schubert Alley (); Encore chops Marty’s (); With Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass (); Mel Torme and the Marty Paich Dek-tette (); Night inspect the Concord Pavillion (); Fujitsu: Concord Jazz Festival in Japan (); Mel & George “Do” World War II (); Sing, Sing, Sing (); Velvet point of view Brass (); A&E An Dusk with Mel Torme (); That’s All ().

—William Ruhlmann