Narrative Biography - Yvonne Roome

Once upon a time on a magical island called Manhattan, ladies and gentlemen dressed in elegant gowns and evening suits danced every night to the music of live orchestras. Glamorous eastside nightclubs with names like El Morocco and Copacabana hosted presidents, princesses, and dapper gangsters. On West 52nd Street hipsters popped their fingers to rising jazz stars known as Billie, Bird, Fats and Monk as they held forth in packed clubs like Jimmy Ryan's and the Onyx. Acting was a noble profession; Broadway was in the midst of its Golden Age, having attained the highest level of international prestige. After the theater, the cognoscenti repaired to the popular Toots Shor's for a nightcap, tumbling home at dawn to sleep, work, and do it all again the following evening….

Whether the subject is escaping a revolution in Portugal, her serendipitous meeting on an airplane with singer Helen Merrill, or her early experiences as a New York nightclub performer in her mother's borrowed gowns (let's just say a FEW items got pinched, including her cab fare home), enchanting songstress Yvonne Roome is a treasure trove of unique experiences which she recounts with lusty amusement. A vivacious New York character who blends a contemporary lifestyle with the manners and sophistication of a gentler time, the Swedish born entertainer radiates worldliness and taste. As an artist, she values discovering musicians, producers and writers who will bring a fresh, timeless quality to her recordings and performances. Yvonne has just released her 8th recording, Roome for Romance (Original Cast Records), a collection of some of the singer's favorite romantic songs. Yvonne delivers superb, classic entertainment with tunes like "I've Got A Crush on You," "Wish You Were Here," and "Say It Isn't So." Recorded in New York with producer, arranger (and keyboardist/vibraphonist) Neal Kirkwood, Roome for Romance features the celebrated harmonicist Jean "Toots" Thielemans on two tracks, as well as Jed Levy on flute and woodwinds, bassist Ralph Hemperian, and drummer Elliott Zigmund.

Yvonne Hammond was the poised child of a Stockholm couturier. When her mother divorced and remarried an American, Yvonne and her sister began an exciting new life in New York. At age nine Yvonne sang regularly at her mother's fashion show on radio station WEVD. At fourteen, she began formal voice training with Sano Marco, a popular teacher whose Carnegie Hall studio was adorned with dozens of photos by Bruno of Hollywood. Waiting for her lessons among portraits of Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and other stars, the teenager fantasized about who was vocalizing on the other side of the door. One day, out walked Dorothy Lamour! Yvonne's show business dream really took hold then. She "debuted" into New York society at age 18, and attended Finch College where she studied TV and Radio Journalism. She married for the first time right out of college for what Yvonne describes as a typical reason in those days, "We were in love, of course, and you know what that means! I was a good girl, so we married." Yvonne slyly describes her first husband as an "entrepreneur" who wanted Yvonne to have a family and keep house in the suburbs! For anyone who knows Yvonne, it was a hilarious, implausible prospect, and the marriage was not to last. After the couple divorced, Yvonne sensibly financed a trip back to Stockholm by selling her wedding gifts. Thus began a wanderlust which saw her through two more husbands (a Portuguese she met on a blind date in Lisbon and a Swede 25 years her senior), a five year romance with a world renowned bandleader (the late Lester Lanin), and a revolution, before she settled down with her beloved No. 4, the late Dr. Norman Roome.

Marriage No. 2 was an interesting affair, with Yvonne living mostly in New York, and her husband living mostly in his native Portugal. In Manhattan, Yvonne worked for Condé Nast, while enthusiastically pursuing singing engagements. Her early show biz stories span everything from "mom and apple pie" USO shows to once opening for pioneer transsexual Christine Jorgensen at a trendy Village nightclub. Yvonne laughs when she says, "You can just imagine the situations a tall, young, Swedish show business hopeful could find herself faced with in New York City! It was comic, and fortunately it all worked out." At a charity function, she met Lester Lanin, a famous bandleader who was known for his elegance as much as his talent on the bandstand. Statuesque, 5'10" Yvonne and Lester were smitten the night they met, though they seemed an unlikely pair given their age difference and Lester's modest stature. During their five year romance, Yvonne sang on many occasions with Lester's orchestra, and Lester introduced her to pianist Jimmy Lyons who coached and accompanied her. Lester didn't seem interested in marriage (never mind the fact that Yvonne was still married to husband No. 2!) so eventually she returned to Europe, where she landed a job working for Radio Free Europe in Stockholm. Among many interesting assignments at RFE, Yvonne interviewed film director Ingmar Bergman. Still missing Lester, she married again after divorcing No. 2. Yvonne and the elegant showman never re-ignited their romance; however, their friendship endured. Eventually Lester became pals with (soon to be) husband No. 4, and Lester, Henny Youngman and Gary Stevens engineered Yvonne's invitation for membership to the Friars Club, making her one of the first female members.

After Radio Free Europe and husband No. 3, Yvonne returned to Portugal, where she lived in a small fishing village called Sesimbra. There, she raised Shi'tzus and worked for ex-husband No. 2 as a sales rep. Then came the Portuguese Revolution of April 25th, 1974, a coup d'état known as the "Carnation Revolution." Despite the whimsical nickname — which comes from the historic images of citizens putting flowers in the butts of the soldiers' guns — chaos reigned for months as the new government tried to keep its footing. Many prominent Portuguese were exiled, Yvonne's ex-husband among them. Yvonne's home was robbed in the havoc; she left the country for New York, and soon found herself in the arms of her beloved No. 4.

On New Year's Eve of 1974, Yvonne met heart surgeon Norman Roome, a renowned member of the department of surgery of Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. They fell in love at first sight, married, and settled into an apartment on the Upper East Side, where Yvonne spent their early years together being a wife and stepmother to Norman's three children. During this period of uncharacteristic domesticity, Yvonne was very active in charity work, particularly with the Creative Arts Rehabilitation Center (CARC). One afternoon, hosting an afternoon meeting in her Upper East Side apartment complete with tea sandwiches and sherry, Yvonne was startled by the sight of Celeste Holm in a cowboy costume, dressed to perform her signature song, "I Cain't Say No," immediately after the meeting. The event triggered Yvonne's ah-hah moment, and she made up her mind to seriously pursue a career as an entertainer. Norman, her unwavering champion, urged Yvonne to go for it. She began studying, and landed roles in several Todd Solondz films, as well as industrials, commercials, voiceovers, and print work. Within a few years, Yvonne had built a solid following for her singing engagements in many New York spots such as Danny's Skylight Room, Panache, Jan Wallman's, Tavern On The Green, Red Blazer Too, and more. Her press kit filled up with favorable reviews. In the mid-nineties, Henny Youngman featured Yvonne in his Lincoln Center show.

Yvonne has another strong champion in jazz singer and friend Helen Merrill, whom she met on a flight to Stockholm. Yvonne, Norman, Helen and her husband — the brilliant arranger Torrie Zito — became good friends and Helen urged Yvonne to make a recording, offering to produce it. She enlisted husband Torrie as arranger. That mutual effort, 1990's Something Cool (DRG), established Yvonne as a first rate recording artist, and one of the first New York vocalists to independently record and release a CD. It featured the aforementioned Toots Thielemans, a good friend since the Thielemans and the Roomes were neighbors in Montauk. Something Cool was widely and favorably reviewed, and Yvonne fell in love with the process of recording. Over the next decade, Yvonne followed Something Cool with Quiet Nights, Jazzmine, La Vie En Roome, New In New York (a collection of original songs by composer Brian Gari), The Best Of Yvonne Roome, Roome for Love and the newly released Roome for Romance. Her recording of "You're Too Dangerous Cherie" from La Vie En Roome earned Yvonne a spot on the Grammy Ballot in 1997. Toots Thielemans has been featured on five Yvonne Roome CDs in all, which are distinguished by Yvonne's natural, relaxed style, her beautiful, versatile voice and high production values. She is as comfortable and convincing with a flat out classic ("I've Got A Crush On You," from Roome For Romance) as she is with darker material or the playful, original material from her 2003 release New In New York.

For the last few years, Yvonne's sweet husband Norman has been looking on Yvonne's career from afar, having passed away unexpectedly in Portugal on August 18, 2000. Norman's sculptures, some of the many reminders of 26 happy years together, are on display all over the home he and Yvonne shared in beautiful Azoia, a town on the westernmost point of the European continent.

Yvonne is busy promoting the release of Roome for Romance (Original Cast Records). She's looking forward to seeing you at her live appearances, though she doesn't care for all the dressing up she has to do. It won't take much to make Yvonne look good. In fact, she's simply gorgeous, she sings great and she has eyes, cheekbones and a knowing smile that won't quit.