CABARET SINGER BOBBY SHORT DIES AT 80

Legendary cabaret singer Bobby Short, who played for more than three
decades at New York's Café Carlyle, died of leukemia today at the age of
80.

A few years ago, Time Magazine wrote, "in an increasingly inelegant world,
Bobby Short is the very symbol of elegance, style and an easier way of
life. Not long ago, his appeal seemed largely confined to New York, but now
just about everyone everywhere seems to be enchanted by Bobby."

According to Variety, "…he miraculously manages to maintain a convincing
freshness in offering up a fast-paced, smartly rendered hour of standards
that both engross and amuse. There's a good reason for Short's long run;
he's a unique performer who's found the appropriate rarefied setting. Long
may he continue to hold forth."

Stephen Holden of The New York Times once described a visit to the Café
Carlyle, "Bobby Short is at the top of his form in his 23rd spring season
at the elegant cabaret. Mr. Short's many strengths include an impeccable
taste in songs and a special eye for obscure Cole Porter gems. His
enunciation is crystal clear, and his singular keyboard style infuses
traditional society piano with the rollicking animation of Harlem
vaudeville. Everything he does communicates, and even sadder songs convey a
high-style joie de vivre."

Newsweek wrote, "Like the songs he sings and plays, Bobby Short is a
collector's item. And the people who collected him are legion, from the
Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Eugene McCarthy to Norman Mailer and
Leontyne Price. He's an easily acquired taste – like caviar and champagne."

It's with acclaim such as this that Mr. Short became the nation's most
celebrated cabaret performer. Born in Danville, Illinois, he taught himself
to play and sing by ear. He began performing as a child, touring in
vaudeville from the age of 12, when he was dubbed "the miniature king of
swing." By 1954, Mr. Short began to record and had attracted a loyal
following for interpretations of popular songs from the 20's and 30's at
night-clubs in New York, Hollywood, Paris and London.

A major turning point in his career came in 1968, when he appeared in the
first hugely successful Town Hall concerts with Skitch Henderson and the
New York Pops, as well as symphony orchestras in San Francisco, Sacramento,
Oakland, Denver, Seattle, Atlanta, Detroit, and Columbus, to name but a
few.

Mr. Short performed at the White House often during the Nixon, Carter, and
Reagan administrations and his frequent appearances on television and the
stage provided for him a unique position in the world of show business.

Among the many honors awarded to him as a result of his dedication to and
appreciation of the American Popular song was an honorary Doctor of Arts
degree from Bloomfield College in New Jersey. His home state of Illinois
honored him with an appointment as Laureate of the Lincoln Academy. On June
9, 1991, the 100th Anniversary of Cole Porter's birth, Mr. Short received
from the Cole Porter Family their "You're the Top" award for his
outstanding contribution to sustaining the Cole Porter legend.

In the spring of 1992, Mr. Short began his 25th year at New York's Café
Carlyle, a record of sorts. That same year, Mr. Short released Late Night
at the Café Carlyle, his first recording on Telarc. He went on to release
six albums with the label.

Though called a National Treasure and a living legend, Mr. Short described
himself as a saloon pianist and singer. He was a Trustee at the Studio
Museum of Harlem and a Board Member at the Third Street Music School
Settlement House as well as the founder and President of the Duke Ellington
Memorial Fund whose sole purpose was to create a monument to the late
composer at the northeast corner of Central Park in New York City.