THEY LIVED HERE – STEVE LAWRENCE

As one of the most popular vocalists of his time, Steve Lawrence entertained audiences for over five decades. A man of many talents, Lawrence was a singer/songwriter, an actor in films and television and a performer in Broadway musicals.
With such an expansive career, Lawrence chose to forgo the glamour of Hollywood, calling Bayside his home instead. He lived near the Clearview Expressway at 43rd Avenue.
With hits on the pop charts for over 25 years, Lawrence was a frequent headliner at nightclubs and concerts. His career in the entertainment industry began in the early 50's, in the post-swing, pre-rock and roll era of music. Lawrence is considered one of the earliest pop stars in American entertainment history.
On July 8, 1935 in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Lawrence was born with the name Sidney Leibowitz. His father, Max Leibowitz, worked as a house painter and served as a cantor. Lawrence honed his talent for singing at synagogue as a young child. As he grew older however, his voice changed and Lawrence was forced to give up singing.
Despite the fact he could not sing for a few years, music continued to be Lawrence's passion. He studied music and learned to play the piano and saxophone. He even began writing and arranging songs.
As a student at Thomas Jefferson High School, Lawrence joined the Glee Club to further his understanding of the art. He also began taking singing lessons. During his free time, he would venture into Manhattan to pester the publishing companies in the Brill Building. He soon gained recognition and was hired to sing on demonstration records.
Taking the names of two of his nephews, Steven and Lawrence, Lawrence created his pseudonym. In 1951, He auditioned for the amateur television series, Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts and won first place.
Dewey Bergman, of King Records, took notice of Lawrence at 16 and signed him to a contract in April 1952. King released eight Steve Lawrence singles over the next two years. Lawrence's second song, a revival of the 1944 hit &#8220Poinciana,” hit the charts in June 1952. In 1953, Lawrence released his first album titled, Steve Lawrence.
In July of 1953, Lawrence was booked to sing on the television talk show, Tonight, hosted by Steve Allen. He made a great impression and became a regular on the show. While performing on Tonight, Lawrence met another singer, Edie Gorme. The two artists had amazing chemistry as a duo; they released their first single together in 1954.
The couple married on December 29, 1957 in Las Vegas. In the fall on 1958 however, Lawrence was drafted into the Army. He was stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia where he served two years. While in the Army, Lawrence joined the Army Band Orchestra. He also continued to record singles. During his tour of service, Lawrence released hits such as &#8220All About Love,” &#8220Pretty Blue Eyes,” and &#8220Swing Softly With Me.”
When Lawrence returned home, he and Gorme resumed their career as a duo. They began performing at nightclubs and in 1960 they released their first album, We Got Us. The title track of the album won the Grammy award for Best Performance by a Musical Group. After signing with Columbia Records in 1962, the duo released &#8220Go Away Little Girl,” which reached number one in January 1963. &#8220Go Away Little Girl,” also sung by Donny Osmond, was the first song in the rock era to be a number one hit for two people.
Lawrence began to try his hand at Broadway in 1962. He starred in the production of What Makes Sammy Run? Lawrence signed on with CBS TV for his own variety show. The Steve Lawrence Show premiered on September 13, 1965 only lasting until December. Lawrence and Gorme then began working on their own Broadway show titled, &#8220Golden Rainbow.” The show opened on February 4, 1968 and ran for 385 performances.
Lawrence is also recognized for his role as Maury Sline in the 1980 cult hit, The Blues Brothers. He also appeared in the 2000 boxing drama, Play It To The Bone and had a recurring role on the TV sitcom, The Nanny, as Fran's father Morty. Lawrence and Gorme were fixtures of the Las Vegas stage for a long time. One of the highlights of their career was performing as a supporting act for Frank Sinatra.