Steve Lawrence

Steve Lawrence
Lawrence with wife Eydie Gormé.
Background information
Birth name	Sidney Liebowitz
Born	(1935-07-08) July 8, 1935 (age 81) Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres	Big band, swing, traditional pop music
Occupation(s)	Singer, actor
Years active	1957–present

Steven "Steve" Lawrence (born July 8, 1935) is an American singer and actor, perhaps best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie." The two appeared together since appearing regularly on Tonight Starring Steve Allen in the mid-1950s until Gormé's retirement in 2009.

Lawrence was born Sidney Liebowitz in Brooklyn to Jewish parents, Victor, a baker who owned his own bakery on White Plains Road in The Bronx, and Helen, his mother who ran the business. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School. Steve also attended PS 174 in the East New York section across from his house, and later went to PS 109 in the Brownsville section. PS 174 is being used to this date.

Lawrence and Gormé married on December 29, 1957 at the El Rancho Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had two sons together. David Nessim Lawrence (b. 1960) is an ASCAP Award-winning composer who composed the score for High School Musical. Michael Robert Lawrence (1962–1986) died suddenly from ventricular fibrillation resulting from an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 23. Michael was an assistant editor for a television show at the time of his death and was apparently healthy despite a previous diagnosis of slight arrhythmia.

Gormé and Lawrence were in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time of Michael's death, having performed at the Fox Theater the night before. Upon learning of the tragedy, family friend Frank Sinatra sent his private plane to fly the couple to New York to meet David, who was attending school at the time. Following their son's death, Gormé and Lawrence took a year off before touring again.