Died On This Date (June 5, 1999) Mel Torme / Jazz Vocal Icon
themusicsover Mel Torme
September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999
Mel Torme was a jazz singer who they called, the Velvet Fog because of his beautiful voice. He also did plenty of acting, first on radio and later in such films as Good News and Frank Sinatra’s Higher and Higher. As a songwriter, Torme penned over 250 songs, many of them becoming jazz standards, including “The Christmas Song” which became a huge hit for Nat King Cole. Torme continued to perform, record and act well into the ’90s. In his later years, Torme appeared on such television shows as Seinfeld and Night Court. His 65-year career came to an abrupt end when he suffered a stroke in 1996. He died of a second stroke on June 5, 1999.
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