LOS ANGELES - Steve Lawrence, a king among easy-listening crooners who rocketed to fame in the ’50s and ’60s as half of the duo Steve and Eydie, died Thursday at age 88.

Lawrence died at home in Los Angeles, and the cause of death was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, spokesperson for the family, Susan DuBow, told Variety.

Lawrence’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis put an end to his touring career in 2019, after a run in the public eye that spanned six and a half decades.

Lawrence was preceded in death in 2013 by his wife, Eydie Gormé, with whom he enjoyed nearly unparalleled success as a performing couple during their heyday as touring artists and TV stars in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. The couple had continued to tour together through 2009.

His colleagues began to weigh in Thursday. “Steve was one of my favorite guests on my variety show,” Carol Burnett said, “appearing 39 times. He was also my very close friend… so close that I considered him ‘family.’ He will always be in my heart.”

With or without Gormé, Lawrence was a Grammy winner, an Emmy winner and a Tony nominee.

One of Lawrence’s signature songs as a TV and Las Vegas nightclub performer was “I’ve Gotta Be Me.”

As a solo artist, Lawrence had one song reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, “Go Away Little Girl”. Altogether he had 33 songs chart between 1952-1966, five of which made Billboard’s top 10.

Story Date: March 10, 2024