Carol Burnett pays tribute to Steve Lawrence: 'He was family to me...'
Carol Burnett has paid tribute to the late singer Steve Lawrence and remembered him as one of her "closest" friends.
Carol Burnett was "so close" to Steve Lawrence that she thought of him as family.
The 90-year-old comedienne took to social media to mourn the passing of her friend Steve - who died on Thursday (08.03.24) at the age of 88 - as she recalled that he had appeared on her self-titled sketch show numerous times and became one of her "favourite" people to work with.
She wrote on Instagram: "Steve was one of my favourite guests on my variety show, appearing 39 times. He was also my very close friend … so close that I considered him ‘family.’ He will always be in my heart."
The 'Annie' star was amongst the first to pay tribute, following the news that Steve - who rose to fame in the 1950s and ’60s by singing with his wife in the duo Steve and Eydie - had passed away from complications linked to Alzheimer’s.
Steve’s son, composer and performer David Lawrence, said in a statement to Deadline: “My Dad was an inspiration to so many people. But, to me, he was just this charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot. Sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife.
“I am so lucky to have had him as a father and so proud to be his son.
“My hope is that his contributions to the entertainment industry will be remembered for many years to come.”
Steve performed with his wife Eydie Gormé around the world until 2009 before she retired for the sake of her health and died aged 84 in 2013.
Steve continued to tour until 2019, when he received his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Steve is survived by his son, daughter-in-law Faye, granddaughter Mabel and brother Bernie, and also had late son Michael.
