If you were a young couple just starting out in the early 60s –like my parents, or the fictional Maisels — Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were your rock stars. They represented the thrill of the Kennedys in the White House and everything fresh and optimistic in the post-war boom.
Now Steve Lawrence has passed away at age 88. His wife, Eydie, died several years ago. But with Steve gone, it’s the end of an era. And they would know what that was like. Back when Frank Sinatra was failing, he depended on doing shows with the married duo, and they kept him going.
Steve and Eydie started on Broadway in1 1957 — he got a Tony nomination for “What Makes Sammy Run?” They were catapulted onto TV with Steve Allen on the Tonight show at a time when there were three channels and one show after the news. Imagine the intense spotlight of that moment.
In years to come, the couple starred in Las Vegas and on tour. They were loosely connected to Sinatra’s Rat Pack. They appeared on prime time TV constantly, particularly Ed Sullivan. They became so ubiquitous as a singing couple that a decade later fans snarked that Paul and Linda McCartney were the Steve and Eydie of their day. A lot of the couple’s appeal had to do with being G rated and comforting as Elvis and rock and roll was taking over. They extended that theme through the 60s, with Steve especially appearing on dozens of family fare shows like Here’s Lucy, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Nanny.
Steve had hits, too, like “Go Away Little Girl,” which was as big in its day as a Justin Bieber song. (Eydie had hers, too like “Blame it on the Bossa Nova.”)
Condolences to their family, friends, and fans.
