Kaye Stevens

Kaye Stevens

Kaye Stevens Bill Hayes Days of Our Lives 1974.

Stevens as Jeri Clayton with Bill Hayes in Days of Our Lives, 1974.
Born Catherine Louise Stephens
(1932-07-21)July 21, 1932
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died December 28, 2011(2011-12-28) (aged 79)
The Villages Hospital, The Villages, Florida, U.S.
Occupation Singer, actress
Years active 1962-1992
Spouse(s) Woodrow Maxwell Melvin Jr. (1977-1978) (divorced)
Gerald Armstrong (1964-?) (divorced)
Tommy Amato (1955-1961) (divorced)

Kaye Stevens (July 21, 1932 – December 28, 2011) was an American singer and actress.

Born Catherine Louise Stephens, her big break in show business came at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, when the headliner for the night, Debbie Reynolds, became ill and Stevens filled in for the night. She then went on to do small shows at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room, New York's Waldorf Astoria, and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. She went on to appear on such television game shows as Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Price Is Right, and Password.

Acting

Stevens started out in film in The Interns (1962), where she played the character Didi Loomis, and its 1964 sequel The New Interns. She also appeared in The Man From the Diners' Club (1963). Stevens had a role in another movie, Let's Switch! (1975), and in 1983 appeared in the film Jaws 3-D.

She was strongly considered for the title role for the musical Funny Girl in the early 1960s. The producers later cast Barbra Streisand in the role.

Vietnam

Stevens went on a USO tour with Bob Hope in 1965. She traveled to Vietnam with Hope and a group of fellow entertainers in the hopes of boosting the morale of thousands of American soldiers. She was quoted as saying “I came back in 1965 and my life was in shambles because of what I saw.”

She later became an alcoholic and her marriage ended in divorce. In 1985 she made a call to N-E-W-H-O-P-E, a telephone counseling service. She found a new faith in Jesus and started her own ministry. The Brewer Christian College and Graduate Schools (Florida) awarded Stevens with a Doctor of Humane Letters for her humanitarian efforts as well as her role in supporting the US soldiers in Vietnam with Bob Hope's USO tour.

Singing career

After Stevens' big break at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, she went from singing to small audiences to singing before sold-out audiences in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. From there she went on tour with The Rat Pack, Johnny Carson and Bob Hope.

Soap opera work

In her role on Days of Our Lives, Stevens introduced a new song, “You Light Up My Life” to the television audience. Her new song was a huge success and soon after Kaye decided that she had to write new songs and create an album. “I knew then that if I got the kind of response from one song, I had to do an album of inspirational, motivational, spiritual-pop music”.

Personal life

Stevens, an only child, was born in Pittsburgh as Catherine Louise Stephens. Her family eventually moved to Cleveland, where Stevens got her start as a drummer and singer as a teenager. She later married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato. The couple performed throughout the eastern United States. She was married five times. She had no children. Amato predeceased Stevens.[1]

"Hello Margate!" Stevens, lived in the City of Margate, FL for more than 45 years (from the late 1950s until 2004). She did public relations for Jack Marquesee, the City's developer. Many Margate residents referred to Stevens as the "First Lady of Margate" because every time she appeared on game shows, she would place a sign next to her nameplate that read "Hello Margate." She promoted Margate as "a great place to live and raise a family." Stevens served as Grand Marshal in many of the City's 4th of July parades, and a City park is named in her honor. When Stevens was home in Margate for the Christmas holiday, she would gather her neighbors and friends and go to the Margate Hospital to sing Christmas carols to the patients.

Later years and death

In her last 20 years, Stevens did Christian ministry and only performed Christian or patriotic music.[2]

She lived in retirement in Summerfield, Florida. Stevens died on December 28, 2011, aged 79, after battling breast cancer and blood clots. She left no immediate survivors.[3]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
On TV Hollywood Squares Herself TV Game Show
On TV Tattletales Herself TV Game Show
On TV To Tell the Truth Herself TV Game Show
On TV Celebrity Sweepstakes Herself TV Game Show
On TV $25,000 Pyramid Herself TV Game Show
On TV The Price Is Right Herself TV Game Show
On TV Password Herself TV Game Show
1964 Toast of the Town Singer Talk Show, 5 Episodes
1962-1964 The Ed Sullivan Show Singer/Comedian Talk Show, 6 Episodes
1967 The Dean Martin Show Herself Talk Show, 2 Episodes
1967 Everybody's Talking Herself Talk Show, 1 Episode
1967 The Hollywood Palace Herself -Singer 1 Episode
1968 Family Affair Julie Madden 1 Episode
1969 Playboy After Dark Singer 1 Episode
1973 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Herself Talk Show, 4 Episodes
1974 Match Game Herself TV Game Show, 15 Episodes
1974-1979 on television Days of Our Lives Jeri Clayton
1975 Let's Switch! Flo Moore
1979 CHiPs Woman in Phone booth 3 Episodes
1979 240-Robert Valerie Barnes 1 Episode
1983 Jaws 3-D Mrs. Kellender
1989 B.L. Stryker 1 Episode
1989 Police Woman Roz 1 Episode
1990 Superboy Mother 1 Episode
1992 Miss America: Behind the Crown Monica

Albums

Singles

References

  1. ↑ Kaye Stevens obituary
  2. ↑ Kaye Stevens CBC profile
  3. ↑ Notice of death of Kate Stevens

External links

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