Eydie Gorme, aleha ha-shalom/rest in peace

Talia counts the late Eydie Gorme as one of her Shining Stars of Davida.  The Jewish Week salutes this Sephardic Songstress.  My favorite--if one can have a favorite when it comes to obituaries--is on the Jewesses with Attitude blog here.  Said Stephen Benson "I dare you to listen to her sing “If He Walked Into My Life” here and not feel the expressive pull, the regret, the heartache as she hits every dramatic emotional nuance of this difficult song.  Not only is she technically right on the money, she nails it with aplomb and finish.  Listen to it, and I guarantee you’ll feel what Steve Lawrence felt about her: “I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and even more the first time I heard her sing.  While my personal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time.”  Yes, do click on that link and watch and listen to a truly extraordinary singer give an extraordinary performance.

Much as I enjoyed her lighter work, such as "Blame It on the Bossa Nova," I was always fondest of Eydie Gorme as a consummate "torch singer."  The drama that she brought to torch songs was worthy of an actor, as you can see and hear in the linked video.

And what a voice!  I always envied her her ability to belt out even the highest notes when the lyrics called for it.  My own singing volume fades to nothing in my higher range.

She will be missed.