Tormé, Mel(vin Howard)

born Sept. 13, 1925, Chicago, Ill., U.S.

died June 5, 1999, Los Angeles, Calif.

U.S. singer, composer, and actor.

Tormé began his career playing drums and singing with Chico Marx's band (1942–43). In 1943 he made his film debut in Higher and Higher; the same year he formed a quintet, Mel Tormé and His Mel-Tones. "Blue Moon," which he sang in the film Words and Music (1948), became his first solo hit and one of his signature tunes. Tormé was one of the great interpreters of ballads in jazz, capable of inspired improvised scat singing. As a songwriter, he is best known for "The Christmas Song." His smooth vocal timbre is reflected in his sobriquet, "the Velvet Fog."

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