Singer. He gained fame as an award-winning American jazz singer as well as being a songwriter, composer, arranger, drummer, actor and author. Nicknamed "The Velvet Fog," he was one of the most successful jazz singers of the 20th Century. Born Melvin Howard Tormé in Chicago to a musical family, his father, a Russian immigrant, owned a dry goods store. He began singing publicly at the age of four at a restaurant, then made his professional debut with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra. He is credited as being a first-place-prize contestant on "Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour". At age nine, he was doing parts for Chicago radio plays "Romance of Helen Trent" and "Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy" while a snare drummer in the Shakespeare Elementary School Drum and Bugle Corps in Chicago. In high school, he formed his own band and sold his first written song, "Lament of Love," to bandleader Harry James, who made a recording. In early 1940, he quit high school to become a singer, drummer, and arranger with Chico Marx's band. In 1944, Torme formed his own vocal group, the "Mel-Tones," which produced the hit, "What is This Thing Called Love?", which has become a jazz standard. He was drafted for a time during World War II, but was quickly discharged with flat feet. He became a successful solo artist in 1947 and soon had a number one hit in "Careless Love." He made over fifty albums during his career, with many considering his best work his collaborations with jazz pianist George Shearing on the releases, "An Evening with George Shearing and Mel Torme" and "Top Drawer," which earned him a Grammy for Best Male Jazz Vocalist in 1982 and 1983. He also made a career with television guest appearances on programs like "Spike Jones Show," "The Judy Garland Show," "The Lucy Show," "The Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson," and the situation comedy "Night Court." He made one- time appearances on programs like "Playhouse 90", where he was nominated a best supporting actor Emmy for his role in "The Comedian"; "The Virginian"; "The Mike Douglas Show"; "The Hollywood Palace"; "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, Chase"; and "Seinfeld." Torme performed constantly in Las Vegas, Nevada, and jazz clubs around the country, and composed over 300 songs. One of his most well-known compositions, "The Christmas Song", which has been covered by a host of singers. He published his autobiography "It Wasn't All Velvet," in 1988; a biography of his life-long friend, drummer Buddy Rich, "Traps - The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich" in 1991; and a scathing telltale book "The Other Side of the Rainbow: Behind the Scenes on the Judy Garland Television Series" in 1991. All have been republished in the 21st century. After having a stroke in 1996, he was unable to make his annual performance at the Hollywood Bowl. His health steadily declined while enduring intermittent hospital stays, and he died three years later at age 73. Posthumously, Mel Torme was inducted into the Big Band Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990 and in February of 1999, awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honors his excellence in recording. He married four times, divorced three times, and had five children.
Inscription
LOVING FATHER ~ LOVING HUSBAND
"Music, the greatest good that mortals know
And all of heaven we have below"
MELVIN HOWARD TORME'
"So many gifts, so lovingly shared"
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