William Foster Hayes III (June 5, 1925 – January 12, 2024) was an American actor and recording artist. His song “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” hit the top of the Billboard charts in the spring of 1955.
Following a successful career as a musician that began in the late 1940s, Hayes began to focus on dramatic acting parts in the late 1960s, which led him to be cast in a role that gained him additional fame to a younger generation. This new chapter began in 1970 when he originated the character of Doug Williams on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, which he continued to play until 2023.
Early life and career
Hayes was born in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925. He attended Whittier Grade School and Thornton Township High. In March 1943, while a freshman at DePauw University, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps, and received his welcome letter on his eighteenth birthday ordering him to report for active duty on July 1. . . . he returned to complete his Bachelor of Arts requirements at DePauw University. . .
Hayes was a singer on the Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca variety show Your Show of Shows in the early 1950s. He had a supporting role in the 1952 black comedy Stop, You’re Killing Me. During the Davy Crockett craze in 1955, three recorded versions of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” were in the top 30. Hayes’ version was the most popular: It was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. . . ..
On Days of Our Lives, Hayes was introduced as a convict who was also a lounge singer.
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Personal life
Hayes was married to Mary Hobbs from 1947 to 1969; they had five children. He was then married to his Days of our Lives co-star Susan Seaforth Hayes beginning in 1974. Their relationship was so popular that they were featured on the cover of Time in 1976, the only soap opera stars to hold that distinction to date. In 2005, the couple published their joint autobiography, Like Sands Through the Hourglass. The couple also supported the West Texas Rehab Center, hosting the annual telethon in Abilene, Texas.
Hayes died on January 12, 2024, at the age of 98.
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Read Bill’s more complete bio here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hayes_(actor)
Related story:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/days-lives-actor-bill-hayes-144905593.html
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OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
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If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
January 2024
16: Peter Schickele, 88, American composer and musical satirist (P. D. Q. Bach).
15: Dana Ghia, 91, Italian actress (Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye, Free Hand for a Tough Cop, California) and singer; K. J. Joy, 77, Indian composer.
14: Enrique Roizner, 84, Argentine drummer, stroke.
13: Prabha Atre, 91, Indian classical vocalist; Bruno Ducol, 74, French pianist and composer; Jo-El Sonnier, 77, American singer-songwriter and accordionist, Grammy winner (2015); Romuald Twardowski, 93, Polish composer.
12: Audie Blaylock, 61, American bluegrass singer and guitarist; Bill Hayes, 98, American singer (“The Ballad of Davy Crockett”) and actor (Days of Our Lives, The Cardinal); David Lumsdaine, 92, Australian composer.
11: Tony Iglio, 90, Italian arranger, composer (La pagella) and conductor; Sigi Schwab, 83, German guitarist; Mike Taylor, Australian record company executive (Universal Music Australia), cancer.
10: Tamara Milashkina, 89, Russian operatic soprano (Bolshoi Theatre).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2023
Photo: Susan Seaforth Hayes & Bill Hayes (11/10/2010) | Photo by Gabi Hernandez
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Bill Hayes – Singer of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” – Dies at 98 // Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths
