Melvin Howard Tormé began his professional music career at age four, performing with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra at Chicago's Blackhawk restaurant. Over the following decades, this multi-talented entertainer established himself as a prominent singer, arranger, and composer, eventually contributing to the cultural canon through both his vocal performances and his extensive work in radio, television, and film.
Early Development and Radio
Born in 1925 in Chicago, Tormé grew up immersed in music. He gained early experience as a drummer in the Shakespeare Elementary School drum-and-bugle corps and spent much of his childhood appearing on radio programs like The Romance of Helen Trent and Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy. By age 16, he had written his first song, and his initial published work, Lament to Love, was recorded by Harry James.
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In 1944, Tormé formed the vocal quintet Mel Tormé and His Mel-Tones. The group, which featured Les Baxter and Ginny O'Connor, pioneered a jazz-influenced vocal style that served as a precursor for later ensembles. After a brief period in the United States Army, Tormé launched a solo career in 1947. His work at Capitol Records, including the 1949 hit Careless Hands, cemented his status in the industry, while his arrangement skills earned him significant acclaim from peers.
Television and Screen Performance
Tormé's career extended into acting across various media. He debuted in the 1943 film Higher and Higher and later gained prominence as a teen idol following his 1947 appearance in Good News. On television, he appeared in the crime drama Dan Raven and played a gunfighter in the western Walk Like a Dragon. Beyond acting, he contributed arrangements to The Judy Garland Show during the 1963-1964 season.
Legacy and Final Honors
Throughout his life, Tormé recorded extensively, with notable collaborations including the Marty Paich Dek-Tette. His composition work remained enduring, most famously exemplified by The Christmas Song, co-written with Bob Wells. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, the year of his death in Los Angeles.
Fast facts
- Born: 1925, Chicago
- Died: 1999, Los Angeles
- Primary Occupations: Singer, composer, actor
- Famous Composition: The Christmas Song
- Nickname: The Velvet Fog
- Education: Hyde Park Academy High School, Los Angeles High School
- Notable Award: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1999)
- Burial Site: Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Did Mel Tormé actually like his nickname, The Velvet Fog?
No, he reportedly detested the name and often self-deprecatingly referred to his voice as the Velvet Frog.
What was Tormé's only number one hit as a solo artist?
His 1949 recording of Careless Hands, released on the Capitol label, was his only song to reach the number one position.
Achievements
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award — 1999
- Educated at Los Angeles High School and Hyde Park Academy High School
- Worked as actor, singer and composer
