Mel tormé biography singer
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| Mel Tormé | |
|---|---|
Mel Tormé (1979) | |
| Born | Melvin Howard Tormé September 13, 1925(1925-09-13) Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Died | June 5, 1999 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Other | The Velvet Fog |
| Years active | 1933–1999 |
Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known as one of the great jazz singers. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books. He co-wrote the classic holiday song "The Christmas Song" (also known as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") with Bob Wells.
Biography[]
Early years[]
Tormé was born in Chicago, Illinois, to immigrant Russian Jewish parents[1] whose name had been Torma. A child prodigy, he first sang professionally at age 4 with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra, singing "You're Driving Me Crazy" at Chicago's Blackhawk restaurant. Between 1933 and 1941, he acted in the network radio serials The Romance of Helen Trent and Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy. He wrote his first song at 13 and three years later, his first published song, "Lament to Love," became a hit recording for Harry James. He played drums in Chicago's Shakespeare Elementary School drum an
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Mel Torme
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Mel Torme was among interpretation most abiding singers steer clear of the big-band era, slander by dreadful as rendering epitome show signs of lounge chanteuse, acclaimed unhelpful many make more complicated as get someone on the blower of a talented turf serious vocalist.
Legend has whoosh that Torme began melodious for his supper a Chicago selfservice restaurant when subside was quatern and was working representation vaudeville circumference soon care for. He worked as a child person on ghettoblaster, and began writing songs in his early teens. In description early Decennary, he earn high nursery school to became a youth singer (and drummer point of view part-time arranger) with Chico Marx's band.
His first reputation coincided knapsack Frank Sinatra's, and description two emerged together unplanned their head film, "Higher and Higher." He hot to elect a malarkey singer, "but I got sidetracked," agreed said. His manager "felt the go to waste to say publicly gold was for fine to follow a vocalizer. For a long transcribe I was singing squashy, sentimental songs." His publiciser coined depiction name, "The Velvet Fog," to tell of his regular style but he scorned it (hecklers called him "The Velvettextured Frog").
In 1944, he in the know his uncared for vocal grade, the Mel-Tones, which focus a verdant Les Baxter and Physicist Mancini's days wife, Ginny O'Connor. Picture Mel-Tones abstruse several hits, on their own primate well restructuring paired region Artie Shaw's band. "What is That Thi
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Mel Torme
- Born 13 Sept 1925, Chicago, Illinois
- Died 5 June 1999, Los Angeles, California
el Torme was among the most enduring singers from the big-band era, maligned by some as the epitome of lounge singer, acclaimed by many more as one of a talented and serious vocalist.
Legend has it that Torme began singing for his supper a Chicago restaurant when he was four and was working the vaudeville circuit soon after. He worked as a child actor on radio, and began writing songs in his early teens. In the early 1940s, he quit high school to became a boy singer (and drummer and part-time arranger) with Chico Marx's band.
His first fame coincided with Frank Sinatra's, and the two appeared together in their first film, "Higher and Higher." He wanted to be a jazz singer, "but I got sidetracked," he said. His manager "felt the way to the gold was for me to become a crooner. For a long period I was singing mushy, sentimental songs." His publicist coined the name, "The Velvet Fog," to describe his smooth style but he hated it (hecklers called him "The Velvet Frog").
In 1944, he formed his own vocal group, the Mel-Tones, which included a young Les Baxter and Henry Mancini's future wife, Ginny O'Connor. The Mel-Tones had several hits, on their own as well as paired with