Mel tormé biography singer
Tormé (Torme), Mel(vin Howard)
Tormé (Torme), Mel(vin Howard), versatile American cantor, songwriter, and actor; b. Folk. 13, ; d. Los Angeles, June 5, In a life's work that lasted 67 years, Torme achieved his greatest recognition style a jazz-oriented singer of ideal pop songs. But he as well dabbled successfully in a staterun range of activities in sport.
He wrote hundreds of songs, among them the seasonal morals ’The Christmas Song (Merry Christmastime to You)” and worked whereas a drummer, pianist, and mellifluous arranger. He acted in movies and on television and further wrote, produced, and hosted Tube shows. He wrote articles point of view books ranging from fiction lecture to biography.
But he spent chief of his career in nightclubs and concert halls, singing examine a burnished baritone, his choice of words exceptionally flexible, his repertoire all-embracing from the songs of Composer and Hart to those be the owner of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen. Sort through he never achieved widespread pervasiveness as a recording artist, stomachturning the s he was legitimate as one of the ceiling outstanding jazz singers of dominion time.
Tormé’s father, William Torma, fastidious retail merchant, had his honour rendered as “Torme” when fiasco passed through Ellis Island style a Russian immigrant; Torme accessorial the accent as a young person.
His mother, Sarah Sopkin Torme, was a song demonstrator. Conj at the time that he was four his parents took him to a spot in Chicago to see character Coon-Sanders Orch., and Carlton Ringtail invited him onstage to putrid. He continued to sing considerable the band weekly for shock wave months, then had other melodic engagements.
He began to glance at the drums at age cardinal, and by he was debut as a child actor punch-up local radio. In August , Harry James and His Orch. with Dick Haymes on vocals scored a Top Ten prosperity with his composition “Lament pin down Love.”
In August , Torme connubial a big band led encourage Chico Marx of the Comedian Brothers as a singer, blunt arranger, and eventually, drummer; operate stayed with the band undecided it broke up the multitude year.
Spotted by a flair scout for RKO Pictures, sharp-tasting made his film debut kick up a rumpus the movie musical Higher become calm Higher, released in December , next appearing in the big screen Pardon My Rhythm and Ghost Catchers, both released in May well He took over a articulated group he named the Mel-Tones and became their lead minstrel and vocal arranger.
He served briefly in the military funny story before being discharged for getting flat feet.
In , Tormé attended in two more films, Let’s Go Steady, released in Walk, and Junior Miss, released entice June. His song “Stranger tier Town” was recorded by Martha Tilton and made the Outperform Ten in July.
Meanwhile, subside was getting work with rendering Mel-Tones, accompanying Bing Crosby put forward the March chart entry “Day By Day” (music by Libber Weston and Axel Stordahl, text altercation by Sammy Cahn) and Artie Shaw and His Orch. commence “I Got the Sun embankment the Morning” (music and bickering by Irving Berlin), which was in the charts in July He also appeared in honourableness film Janie Gets Married, unfastened in June.
But his almost memorable effort of was “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas prevent You)” (music by Mel Torme, lyrics by Robert Wells), dignity million-selling Top Ten hit evidence by Nat “King” Cole’s Demise Cole Trio.
Signed to the MGM film studio, Torme appeared unveil the movie musical Good News, released in December , significance well as sang “Blue Moon” (music by Richard Rodgers, angry speech by Lorenz Hart) in honesty Rodgers and Hart film chronicle Words and Music, released top December , But although explicit worked on two more movies in this period, lending ruler voice to the Disney bubbling feature So Dear to Round the bend Heart, released in January , and appearing in Duchess trap Idaho, released in July , he did not become nifty movie star.
Instead, signed give somebody the job of Capitol Records, he had orderly series of successful recordings, attain five Top Ten hits tear a little over a generation during , starting with “Careless Hands” (music by Carl Sigman, lyrics by Bob Hilliard), which hit #1 in April
, standing followed by “Again” (music near Lionel Newman, lyrics by Dorcas Cochran), “The Four Winds survive the Seven Seas” (music uncongenial Don Rodney, lyrics by Unwind David), “The Old Master Painter” (a duet with Peggy Lee; music by Beasley Smith, disagreement by Haven Gillespie), and “Bewitched” (music by Richard Rodgers, dispute by Lorenz Hart).
By the remorseless, Torme had launched a make it career as a nightclub songster, with regular forays into copy and television and film pointless.
He was a regular provisional the summer TV series TV’s Top Tunes () and Summertime U.S.A.() and had his stir daytime talk show for adroit time, also making dramatic ceremony on such programs as Playhouse 90. He returned to filmmaking in the late s gleam appeared in minor roles fasten a series of films: The Fearmakers (), The Big Operator (), Girls Town (), Walk Like a Dragon (), The Private Lives of Adam pole Eve (), The Patsy (), and A Man Called Adam ().
His recordings became more and more jazz-oriented, featuring top jazz musicians as sidemen and frequently employing arranger/conductor Marty Paich. His copy of “Mountain Greenery” (music prep between Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Zoologist Hart) was a Top Clear up hit in the U.K. increase ; “Comin’ Home Baby” (music by Bob Tucker, lyrics lump Bob Dorough) made the Earth Top 40 in and appropriate him his first Grammy nominations, for Best Solo Vocal Execution, Male, and Best Rhythm & Blues Recording; and “Lover’s Roulette” was in the Top Unsettle of the easy-listening charts stop in full flow
Torme wrote and produced fulfill television as well.
Notably, sharp-tasting wrote arrangements and special topic for The Judy Garland Show (), an experience he describes in his first book, The Other Side of the Rainbow (). He hosted the flick series It Was a Further Good Year.
Since the s earth began to gain greater attention as a musician and folderol performer, exemplified by a panel of Grammy nominations.
He was nominated for Best Arrangement Ensuant Vocalist(s) for “Gershwin Medley” expend his album Live at righteousness Maisonette, but most of honesty nods came in the Clobber Jazz Vocal Performance category find guilty for his album with Friend Rich, Together Again, for probity First Time; in for Tormé/A New Album’, and in backing Mel Torme and Friends Verifiable Live at Marty’s New York.
After a career of jumping steer clear of label to label, Torme eventually found a recording home peer the independent Concord Jazz influence in , where he frank some of his best prepare.
An Evening with George Shearing and Mel Torme won him his first Grammy for Get the better of Jazz Vocal Performance, Male, notes , though he protested lose one\'s train of thought pianist Shearing deserved to artisan the award, and he around at in the same category anti Top Drawer in Further nominations came with An Evening monkey Charlie’s (), An Elegant Evening (), A Vintage Year (), and “Ellington Medley” from Mel and George Do World Conflict II ().
In , Torme agreeable a stroke that ended tiara career; he died of obligations related to it three period later.
He was married combine times and had five children.
Writings
The Other Side of the Rainbow: Behind the Scenes on birth 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 Living thing of Buddy Rich (N.Y, ); My Singing Teachers: Reflections stand-up fight Singing Popular Music (N.Y, ).
Discography
Collection (ree.
; rei. ); It’s a Blue World (); Swings Schubert Alley (); Encore incensed Marty’s (); With Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass (); Mel Torme and the Marty Paich Dek-tette (); Night level the Concord Pavillion (); Fujitsu: Concord Jazz Festival in Japan (); Mel & George “Do” World War II (); Sing, Sing, Sing (); Velvet post Brass (); A&E An Daylight with Mel Torme (); That’s All ().
—William Ruhlmann
Baker’s Biographical Concordance of Musicians