"Steve and Eydie represent all that is good about performers and the interpretation of a song," Frank Sinatra once observed. "They're the best." Without a doubt, anyone who'd had the opportunity to see Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme onstage - or any of their hundreds of television appearances over five decades - would agree with the Chairman of the Board's assessment. Now, the couple's extraordinary career is being celebrated on a remarkable new Public Television special which debuts on stations nationwide the weekend of December 2, 2023.
Steve and Eydie's composer-musician son David Lawrence (High School Musical) hosts Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme: Memories of My Mom and Dad as part of the highly popular, long-running My Music series. The retrospective, encore airings of which will run through the holiday season, features rare footage of Steve and Eydie inimitably performing classic standards, Broadway favorites, and Brill Building delights. The program includes:
- This Could Be the Start of Something Big - Steve and Eydie
- I've Got You Under My Skin - Steve
- The Man I Love - Eydie
- What Now My Love - Steve
- Tonight I'll Say a Prayer - Eydie
- Portrait of My Love - Steve
- Blame It on the Bossa Nova - Eydie
- Sunrise, Sunset - Steve and Eydie
- More - Steve
- Sabor a Mi - Eydie
- A Room Without Windows - Steve
- Go Away Little Girl - Steve
- A House Is Not a Home - Eydie
- Darn It Baby, That's Love - Steve and Eydie
- I've Gotta Be Me - Steve
- What Did I Have That I Don't Have - Eydie
- If He Walked Into My Life - Eydie
- Irving Berlin Medley - Steve and Eydie with Carol Burnett and Sammy Davis, Jr.
- As Time Goes By - Steve and Eydie
"Long before doing doo-wop, folk and soul reunions, the show I most wanted to make was about Steve and Eydie. From the first time I heard Steve sing 'More' and then discovered Eydie's amazing voice, I knew their beautiful legacy deserved to be celebrated," comments Executive Producer T.J. Lubinsky in the press release. "Thanks to their son David and my team, spearheaded by Jim Pierson, it's finally happening - Steve & Eydie are back!"
After a brief encounter at the Brill Building, Steve and Eydie met when they were each engaged as regulars on Steve Allen's Tonight Show. Their courtship played out against the backdrop of the early days of television, culminating in their marriage in 1957. Though both maintained flourishing solo recording careers, they performed together onstage and on records until Eydie's retirement in 2009. Memories of My Mom and Dad features their big hits ("Go Away Little Girl," "Blame It on the Bossa Nova"), Eydie's Grammy-winning triumph ("If He Walked Into My Life"), highlights from Steve's Broadway debut ("A Room Without Windows" from What Makes Sammy Run?) and their one joint appearance on the Great White Way (Steve's "I Gotta Be Me" from Golden Rainbow), and a star-studded medley from their Emmy Award-winning tribute to Irving Berlin. Eydie's Spanish language career is represented, too, with "Sabor a Mi."
Joining David Lawrence on Memories of My Mom and Dad is the legendary Carol Burnett, with whom Steve and Eydie shared a longtime personal and professional relationship, and Ambassador of the American Songbook, vocalist Michael Feinstein. Burnett remembers, "Steve and Eydie were family and I'm so happy to be part of this tribute to my loving friends. "Their work is as important for preservation as any great artists of the 20th century," notes Feinstein.
This tribute to music's most beloved married couple begins airing the weekend of December 2 on Public Television stations nationwide with preview broadcasts the weekend after Thanksgiving in various cities - please check local listings. For those readers in the Tri-State Area: New York's PBS station WNET Thirteen has a special preview airing scheduled for Tuesday, November 28 at 8:00 p.m. Click here for news of the exclusive new Steve & Eydie pledge gifts which will be offered in conjunction with the fund-raising broadcasts, including both CD and DVD releases!
Robert Lett says
Thier catalog definitely needs shining up with some well
thought out releases. Met them when they played here years ago. She was a hoot, both very nice peiole.
Bill says
Agreed!
zally says
what a classy act, to many familier songs that they did , always loved them on sullivan.
zally says
what a classy act, to many familier songs that they did
Harry Cohen says
Tonight I'll Say A Prayer...ear worm that is still in my head. This show really could be the start of something big...reissues of their Columbia material, anyone?
Bill says
How about some of the ABC material!
Zubb says
I'd like to see their recordings for MGM with Mike Curb and Don Costa remastered and reissued on CD. Very little of those years has made it to CD.
Todd Everett says
Pretty sure they (now their estate) owns much, if not most of their stuff. The problem is finding someone to lease, package, promote and distribute it. Gordon Anderson was doing a commendable job for a while. Maybe one of those European companies who don’t bother with licensing will think they can find enough fans to make it worthwhile.
Joe Marchese says
Real Gone Music entered into an agreement last year with David Lawrence to begin reissuing much of Steve and Eydie's catalog beginning with the expanded edition of THAT HOLIDAY FEELING on CD. An LP is coming later this year, and there's more on the way from all periods of their careers. 🙂
Liz Hirsch says
So glad this is happening. Loved seeing Steve and Eydie perform every time. Their beautiful voices and humor were Tahoe very best entertainment ever.
Randy Brandon says
Hallelujah!! Not just hallelujah songs of love… Hallelujah… It’s about time!!
Two of the best voices ever to Grace any song, I finally going to get their place at the top of the stars finally.
tj says
Randy, The Fourmations would agree with you ! Stereo fans will not be dissapointed!
RC says
It's about time!!! Love Steve and Eydie and look forward to their story, finally, being told. I wish that someone would write a solid, fact-based biography about them. As for the music, I have most of what has been reissued on CD, though I'd love to see some more quality packages put out. Personally, the two songs I see as most severely missing are "Hallalujiah" (Parker and Penny) and "What I Did For Love," Eydie's version being a true masterpiece.
Erin says
How can I find the channel and tine in my area?
I'm in NJ.
Erin
Joe Marchese says
Hi Erin, tune into Channel 13 (WNET) on Tuesday, November 28 at 8:00 p.m. for a special preview airing of the show. If you can't watch then, it will begin airing regularly the weekend of December 2. Enjoy!
Ronald H Luczak says
Will Buffalo/Toronto Public Television and Radio WNED-TV & WBFO Radio be broadcasting the show?
Ariana says
I'd also love to find this out!!!
Cathy Adams says
We live in Las Vegas, Nevada. How can I stream David Lawrence‘s presentation about his parents? I went on ROKU TV channels and went to Las Vegas PBS and could not find THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT SHOW WHICH I KNOW JUST CAME OUT IN DECEMBER. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED THANK YOU.