Kaye Stevens

Kaye Stevens (born Catherine Louise Stephens, also sometimes spelled Kay Stevens, July 21, 1932 – December 28, 2011) was an American singer and actress. 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 in New York City at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room and the Waldorf Astoria, and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.[1]

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.
DiedDecember 28, 2011(2011-12-28) (aged 79)
The Villages, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
Years active1962-1992
Spouse
Tommy Amato
​
​
(m. 1955; div. 1961)​
Gerald Armstrong
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1965)​
Woodrow Maxwell Melvin Jr.
​
​
(m. 1977; div. 1978)​

Early life

Born Catherine Louise Stephens[2] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 21, 1932, she was an only child. Her family eventually moved to Cleveland, where she got her start as a drummer and singer as a teenager.[3][4]

Career

Acting

Stevens started out in film in The Interns (1962), where she played Didi Loomis, a nurse, and its 1964 sequel The New Interns. She also appeared in The Man From the Diners' Club (1963), which starred Danny Kaye. Stevens had a role in the television movie Let's Switch! (1975) and in 1983 appeared in the film Jaws 3-D. She was considered for the title role for the musical Funny Girl (Barbra Streisand) in the early 1960s.[5]

In her role on Days of Our Lives, Stevens introduced a new song, "You Light Up My Life", to the television audience. It 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."[6]

Stevens appeared on such television game shows as Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Price Is Right, Tattletales (Episode #2.28 on Oct. 21, 1974 appearing with then boyfriend Tom Lindstrom), and Password. She appeared as a guest star on many series, including CHiPs, Police Woman, and B.L. Stryker. Since 1994, Stevens was a regular on Hour of Power.

Singing

After her big break at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, she went from small audiences to 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.

Personal life and death

Stevens married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato in 1955. The couple performed throughout the eastern United States. They divorced in 1961. Stevens then married realtor Gerald Armstrong in September 1964 in Honolulu, Hawaii, but they divorced after less than one year. Stevens' third marriage, to Miami attorney Woodrow Maxwell "Mac" Melvin, also ended in divorce after less than a year.

Stevens lived in Margate, Florida, from the late 1950s until 2004.[7] 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 placed 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 parades on July 4, and a city park is named in her honor. When Stevens was home in Margate for the Christmas holiday, she gathered her neighbors and friends at the Margate Hospital to sing Christmas carols to the patients.

In her last 20 years, Stevens founded a Christian ministry and only performed Christian or patriotic music.[6]

She lived in retirement in Summerfield, Florida, and died at age 79 on December 28, 2011, after battling breast cancer and blood clots, according to Gerry Schweitzer, a close friend. She left no immediate survivors.[7]

Vietnam

In 1965, Stevens went on a USO tour in Vietnam with Bob Hope and with a group of fellow entertainers to boost the morale of American soldiers.[7] She was quoted as saying "I came back in 1965, and my life was in shambles because of what I saw".

Honors, awards, and nominations

Stevens received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Supporting Actress in 1963 for her work in the film The Interns.

City of Margate officials named a park in her honor. Kaye Stevens Park is located 5825 Royal Palm Blvd. The city dedicated a life-size bronze statue of her on April 5, 2016.[8][1]

Filmography

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
-Hollywood SquaresHerselfTV game show
-To Tell the TruthHerselfTV game show
-Celebrity SweepstakesHerselfTV game show
-$25,000 PyramidHerselfTV game show
-The Price Is RightHerselfTV game show
-PasswordHerselfTV game show
1964Toast of the TownSingervariety show, 5 episodes
1962-1964The Ed Sullivan ShowSinger/Comedianvariety show, 6 episode
1967The Dean Martin ShowSingervariety show, 2 episodes
1967Everybody's TalkingHerselftalk show, 1 episode
1967The Hollywood PalaceSingervariety show, 1 episode
1968Family AffairJulie Madden1 episode
1969Playboy After DarkSinger1 episode
1969The Temptations ShowSingervariety show
1973The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonHerselftalk show, 4 episodes
1974Match GameHerselfTV game show, 15 episodes
1974TattletalesHerselfTV game show
1974-1979Days of Our LivesJeri ClaytonTV soap opera
1975Let's Switch! Flo Moore
1978Police WomanRoz1 episode
1979CHiPsWoman in Phone booth3 episodes
1979240-RobertValerie Barnes1 episode
1983Jaws 3-DMrs. Kellender
1989B.L. Stryker1 episode
1990SuperboyMother1 episode
1992Miss America: Behind the Crown Monica

Recordings

Albums
  • "Ruckus at the Riviera" – Columbia Records
  • "Kaye Stevens in Person at the Copa" – Liberty Records
  • "Not So Great Songs from Not So Great Movies" – Liberty Records
  • "Playgirls" – Liberty Records
  • "The Grass Will Sing for You" – Liberty Records
  • "The Temptation Shows Guest Starring Kaye Stevens" – Motown Records

Singles
  • "You Brought Me Back to Love Again" – Sun Records
  • "Someone Must Have Hurt You a Lot" – Capitol Records
  • "Friends Are Friends Forever" – NLT Records
  • "I'm Going Back to Tennessee" – NLT Records

References
  1. "Kaye Stevens, Singer-Actress, Dies at 79". Billboard. Associated Press. December 30, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  2. Lentz, III 2012, pp. 331–332.
  3. "Kaye Stevens, singer with Rat Pack who became an actress, dies at 79". Los Angeles Times. December 31, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  4. "Singer, actress Kaye Stevens dies in Florida". USA Today. December 29, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  5. Mann, William J. (October 9, 2012). Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand (first ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 224–225. ISBN 978-0547368924.
  6. "U.S. singer, actor Kaye Stevens dies". CBC News. Associated Press. December 30, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  7. Jicha, Tom (December 29, 2011). "Singer/actress Kaye Stevens, who put Margate on map, dies". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  8. Huriash, Lisa J. (March 17, 2015). "Margate to erect statue of '60s actress Kaye Stevens". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Retrieved May 1, 2017.

Sources
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