Eydie Gorme has passed away at the age of 84 following a short battle with an unspecified illness. The singer died in Las Vegas on Saturday (10 August) afternoon, her publicist confirmed to People, leaving behind a legacy of softly sung hits that ranged from bossa nova to ballads.

Gorme was a popular recording and concert singer, appearing on television numerous time as well. Some of her most memorable songs were collaborations with her husband Steve Lawrence, although she also tasted success as a solo act. She and Lawrence formed a solid bond together throughout their fifty-six years of marriage, and Lawrence remained by her bedside, along with their son, when she died this weekend.

Born to Spanish-speaking Jewish parents in New York in 1928, Gorme grew up speaking both Spanish and English - a trait that would greatly aid her in mastering the bossa nova style - and in 1953 she got her big break when she joined what would become the Tonight Show on the NBC television network. It was here where she first met Lawrence, with the pair initially beginning a professional relationship before falling for one another. They married in 1957 and continued to work together, producing hits that were sung in both English and Spanish. Her Spanish-language songs became hits in Latin America as well as being reasonably successful north of the border.

Her biggest solo hit came with the single 'Blame It On The Bossa Nova,' although she would also score a number of successful tracks throughout her career, in particular her 1964 version of the Spanish-language song 'Amor,' featuring the Mexican band Trio Los Panchos.

"Eydie has been my partner on stage and in life for more than 55 years. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and even more the first time I heard her sing," Lawrence said in an official statement, adding, "While my personal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time."

Steve Lawrence
Her husband Steve Lawrence stayed with Eydie until the very end