biography
| name: |
Tormé, Mel(vin Howard)
|
pronunciation:
[taw(r)may]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1925– )
|
| biography:
| Vocalist, composer, and writer, born in Chicago, Illionois, USA. He was involved in show business from age four, singing with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra (1929) and Buddy Rogers (early 1930s). He studied drums and songwriting while acting in radio soap operas (1934–40). His first song, ‘Lament to Love’, was recorded by Harry James in 1941, and among his other compositions are ‘The Christmas Song’ and ‘Born to be Blue’. In 1942–3 he sang and played drums with Chico Marx, and then led his own vocal group, the Mel-Tones, in California until 1947. Thereafter, as the epitome of Cool School jazz singers, he toured as a headlining concert performer and recorded a string of hit records throughout the 1950s. He also appeared as an actor in many television drama series. He wrote biographies of Judy Garland and Buddy Rich, and an autobiography, It Wasn't All Velvet. |
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