He was only 21 when a New York disk jockey, Fred Robbins, christened him the Velvet Fog, and he sang at the Copacabana.

And even more recently, the icon for Dew in television commercials has been the Velvet Fog himself, the 69-year-old crooner Mel Torme.

Mr. Torme, known as the Velvet Fog because of his smooth voice, can speak but will continue therapy to help him to walk again.

Tormé would develop other nicknames later in life, but none seemed as popular as the Velvet Fog (primarily on the East Coast) and the Blue Fox.

Also known as "The Velvet Fog of East High".

Velvet Fog was another length back in fourth and True and Blue was last.

Jerry reports that he has been thrown out of his girlfriend's apartment for refusing to use her toothbrush and is now stuck staying with the "Velvet Fog" ("The Jimmy").

And I liked the Velvet Fog, the name they gave Mel Tormé when they discovered he couldn't reach the hard notes.

Velvet Fog was along for third as Endurance, the co-favorite with Once Wild at 8-5, faded to fourth.

Mr. Torme, 71, known as the Velvet Fog, was hospitalized for three months following his stroke last August.