Singer Eydie Gorme, who performed with her singing partner and husband Steve Lawrence, has died at the age of 84.
Gorme passed away in Las Vegas on Saturday, both her rep Howard Bragman and Lawrence have confirmed.
In a statement, Bragman said of the bossa nova legend, "Legendary singer and performer Eydie Gorme passed away peacefully today at Sunrise Hospital following a brief illness. She was surrounded by her husband, son and other loved ones at the time of her death,” People reports.
Lawrence added, "Eydie has been my partner on stage and in life for more than 55 years. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and even more the first time I heard her sing. While my personal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time."
According to NY Times, Gorme, known for her 1963 hit “Blame it on the Bossa Nova,” catapulted into success in nightclubs and television. She was hired on Steve Allen’s local TV show in New York in 1953 and when it became NBC’s Tonight Show she and Lawrence, who joined a year before her, went along with it.
Although successful as a duo, Lawrence also had a hit in 1962 with “Go Away Little Girl.”
Washington Post notes Gorme later made a mark performing in Spanish.
Gorme is survived by her husband, Lawrence, and one of their children – they had a son who died in his 20s.
image: Wikimedia Commons
