Columnist Joe Delaney: Steve & Eydie remain consummate professionals

Joe Delaney

Friday, May 19, 2000 | 9:05 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@ lasvegassun.com or 259-4066

Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme are the best husband and wife -- make that male and female -- singing and comedy couples of all time. ... Steve & Eydie are appearing in the Caesars Palace Circus Maximus tonight through Sunday ... Lawrence, son of a cantor, was born in Brooklyn; Gorme, whose parents were Sephardic Jews, was born in the Bronx.

Lawrence won an Arthur Godfrey talent contest at age 16 and earned a spot on Steve Allen's "Tonight Show" ... Gorme auditioned a year later, was accepted, joining Lawrence, Andy Williams and Pat Kirby as singing regulars along with comedians Bill Dana, Don Knotts, Louis Nye and Tom Poston ... Their courtship began on Allen's program.

Upon Lawrence's return from the service in 1957, he and Eydie were married at the original El Rancho, with comedian Joe E. Lewis, in his pajamas, serving as best man and the newly married Paul Newmans as witnesses.

More Steve & Eydie

Frank Sinatra was a Steve & Eydie friend and fan ... The duo toured with Sinatra for a year in the '80s. ... Sinatra was quoted as saying, "Steve and Eydie represent all that is good about performers and the interpretation of a song -- they're the best" ... TV talker Larry King put it more succinctly, "If Steve & Eydie cannot entertain you, then no one can entertain you."

Dean Martin also called Lawrence "Steve and Eydie," introducing him that way on his TV show ... On one occasion when the Lawrences were appearing together, Martin introduced them as "Steve and Eydie -- and Eydie." Make Steve & Eydie your must-see show this weekend.

Union in action

Armerican Federation of Musicians Local 369 just completed its third collective bargaining agreement since Jan. 1 ... The agreements cover the Wayne Newton Orchestra at the Stardust and the Lon Bronson orchestras backing David Cassidy and Sheena Easton (Rio) and "The Rat Pack Is Back" at the Sahara ...Every show should have live music.

Jazz notes: Evenings, it's the Joe Lano Trio (Paris Las Vegas) and Mike Breene Trio (Santa Fe) ... On Fridays, it's Irv Kluger & Co. (Pogo's); Sundays, the Marv Koral All-Stars featuring Carl Fontana and their hot new CD, Pierce Street Annex; and Mondays, Don Menza & Friends (Riviera) ... Reminder: LV Jazz Society's picnic, noon-7 p.m. Sunday, Winchester Center Park.

Coming events

Jerry Vale performs at Boulder Station, May 25-27; Barry Manilow performs five shows in four days, May 25-28 (Mandalay Bay Theatre); Thunder From Down Under will be back at the Stardust, May 26-June 15; Nevada Opera Theatre's "Don Pasquale" will be performed at 8 p.m., May 27 and 2 p.m., May 28 (UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre) and Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel and special guest Ana Gabriel, May 27 (Mandalay Bay Events Center).

It's time for our annual four-week vacation, dropping out, doing chores I've been promising to do at home for nearly 36 years now ... When we return on June 19, we will be starting year 34 as a Sun columnist ... We will enjoy our vacation ... I hope to, chores or not ... See you.