Mel Torme Biography

Mel Torme biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Melvin Howard Tormé
OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer, Radio Personality, Journalist
BIRTH DATE: c. 1925
DEATH DATE: June 05, 1999
PLACE OF BIRTH: Chicago, Illinois

Best Known For

Mel Torme was a singer, jazz vocalist, and composer active from the 1940s-1990s. He also wrote biographies of Judy Garland and Buddy Rich.

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Mel Torme

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Synopsis

Mel Torme was born in Chicago in 1925. In show business from age four, Torme studied drums and songwriting while acting in radio soaps. His first song, "Lament to Love", was recorded by Harry James in 1941. Torme led his own vocal group, the Mel-Tones, then recorded a string of hits through the 1950s. He wrote biographies of Judy Garland and Buddy Rich,

and an autobiography. He died in 1999.

Profile

Vocalist, composer, and writer, born in Chicago, Illinois, 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, 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. Torme died of a stroke on June 5, 1999.