About Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") and co-wrote the lyrics with Bob Wells. Tormé won two Grammy Awards and was nominated a total of 14 times. == Early life and education == Melvin Howard Tormé was born in Chicago, Illinois, to a Jewish family. His father, William David Tormé, (born Wowe Torma, also spelled as Tarme or Tarmo), was an immigrant from Brest (now Belarus), and Sarah "Betty" Tormé (née Sopkin), was a New York City native. Named after the actor Melvyn Douglas, Tormé grew up in a home filled with music and entertainment. His father, whom he recalled as having the pure voice of a cantor, had been an amateur dancer in his youth. His aunt Faye Tormé had risen to local fame in Chicago, where, dubbed the "Wonder Frisco Dancer," she raised money by dancing at war bond rallies in 1917-18. Mel's only formal musical education came from his Uncle Al Tormé, who played the ukulele and the Albert system clarinet. His only sibling, Myrna, was born a few weeks before his fourth birthday.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.