William Foster Hayes III (June 5, 1925 – January 12, 2024) was an American actor and recording artist. His song "

The Ballad of Davy Crockett "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn. It was introduced on ABC's television series ''Disneyland'', in the premiere episode of October 27, 1954. Background Fess Parker is shown per ...

" hit the top of the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' charts between March and May 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 ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

''; the character's final appearance on the program was streamed posthumously on

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

on July 11, 2024.

Early life

Hayes was born in

Harvey, Illinois Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,324 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Harvey is bordered by the villages of Dixmoor, Illinois, Dixmoor and Riverdale, Illinois, Riverdale to the north; ...

, on June 5, 1925. He attended Whittier Grade School and Thornton Township High.Bill Hayes – Biography
www.45cat.com. Retrieved July 25, 2021. In March 1943, while a freshman at

DePauw University DePauw University ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College and changed its name to DePauw University in 1884. The college has a Methodist heritage and was ...

, 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. For the next 27 months, he trained to be a

fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...

. He was two weeks shy of receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Air Corps, scheduled to fly an F8F off a carrier, when

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

ended. He was awarded the

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had per ...

and the

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. Histo ...

. Given the choice of reenlisting in the Navy or getting out immediately, he opted for civilian life. After five weeks of hitchhiking around the Midwest to celebrate with buddies who were also coming home, he returned to complete his Bachelor of Arts requirements at DePauw University, where he was a member of the

Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha (), commonly referred to as Lambda Chi, is a fraternities and sororities, collegiate fraternity in North America. With over 300,000 initiates as of 2024, it is the third-largest social fraternity in the world by number of initia ...

fraternity and graduated in June 1947 with a dual major in Music and English.

Career

Hayes was a singer on the

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950–1954) ...

and

Imogene Coca Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on ''Your Show of Shows''. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and pursu ...

variety show ''

Your Show of Shows ''Your Show of Shows'' is a live 90-minute variety show that was broadcast weekly in the United States on NBC from February 25, 1950, through June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Other featured performers were Carl Reiner, Ho ...

'' in the early 1950s. He had a supporting role in the 1952 black comedy ''

Stop, You're Killing Me ''Stop, You're Killing Me'' is a 1952 American black comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Broderick Crawford, Claire Trevor and Virginia Gibson. The film is set shortly after the Repeal of Prohibition in the United States (1933). A f ...

''. During the

Davy Crockett Colonel (United States), Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennesse ...

craze in 1955, three recorded versions of "

" were in the top 30. Hayes' version was the most popular: It was number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for five weeks,

Joel Whitburn Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings. Early life Joel Carver Whitburn was born in W ...

, ''Top Pop Singles'', 12th edn, 2009. sold over two million copies, and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. He also starred on Broadway in

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their musical ...

's ''

Me and Juliet ''Me and Juliet'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The sixth stage collaboration by Rodgers & Hammerstein, it tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage m ...

'' (1953). Hayes had other small hits in the 1950s, including "The Berry Tree" and covers of "

High Noon ''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western (genre), Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in Real time (media), real time, centers ...

" and "Wringle, Wrangle"; the latter was his only other Hot 100 hit, reaching number 33 in 1957. BillHayes

On ''Days of Our Lives'', Hayes was introduced as a convict who was also a

lounge singer Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The ran ...

. The character of Doug returned in 1986 and 1987 as well as 1993 and 1996. Later, he was on the show from 1999 onwards. His character was killed off in the spring of 2004 by Dr. Marlena Evans. In an elaborate plot hatched by head writer James E. Reilly, Doug turned up alive on a tropical island and went home to his wife. In 2017, ''World by the Tail'', a documentary about Bill Hayes's life, was released online. On June 27, 2017, while present in the show's audience, Hayes was featured in an impromptu interview on a web special for ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...

''; in his heyday, he had been a guest on the

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

-hosted version of the show.

Personal life and death

Hayes graduated from DePauw University with majors in music and English and became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. Hayes earned a master's degree in music from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

and a Ph.D. in education from

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...

. 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 Susan Seaforth Hayes (born Susan Seabold; July 11, 1943) is an American television actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Julie Williams on the NBC drama '' Days of Our Lives'', and her intermittent portrayal of Joanna Manning on the ...

, beginning in 1974. Their relationship was so popular that they were featured on the cover of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' 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. Hayes died in Studio City, Los Angeles on January 12, 2024, at age 98.

Filmography

*''

'' ( Doug Williams: 1970–1984; 1986–1987; 1993; 1994; 1996; 1999–2024 (recurring) *''Miracle at Gate 213'' (TV film) – Louis Darling (2013) *''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...

'' (TV series) (" Frasier Has Spokane") – Sully (2002) * ''Matlock'' (TV series) (''The Reunion)'' – George Dutton (1988) *''

Password Plus ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' are American TV game shows that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of ''Password'', which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differen ...

'' – Himself (1979) *''

Cade's County ''Cade's County'' is a modern-day Western/crime drama which aired Sundays at 9:30 pm (EST) on CBS during the 1971–1972 television season. There were 24 episodes. Synopsis ''Cade's County'' starred well-known Hollywood actor Glenn Ford as Sa ...

'' (TV series) (1972) * ''The Interns'' (TV series) (''The Price of Life)'' – Vern Anderson (1970) *''

Once Upon a Mattress ''Once Upon a Mattress'' is a musical theater, musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway theat ...

'' (TV special) – Minstrel (1964) *''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by the same by Henry Morton Robinson. The ...

'' (film) – Frank (1964) *''True Story'' (TV series) – Larry Foster (1961) *''

Here's Hollywood ''Here's Hollywood'' is an American celebrity interview program which aired on weekday afternoons on NBC at 4:30 Eastern time from September 26, 1960, to December 28, 1962. Production notes The program was a Desilu Production.Alex McNeil, ''Tota ...

'' (TV variety series) – Himself-multiple appearances (1961) *'' Show of the Week'': "Music of the Thirties" – Himself (1961) *''Music for a Christmas Night'' – The Gift of Song (TV music special) – Himself (1960) *''

The Bell Telephone Hour ''The Bell Telephone Hour'', also known as ''The Telephone Hour'', is a concert series broadcast on NBC Radio Network from April 29, 1940 to June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in classical and ...

'' (TV variety series) – Himself (1960) *''

The Voice of Firestone ''The Voice of Firestone'' is a radio and television program of classical music. The show featured leading singers in selections from opera and operetta. Originally titled ''The Firestone Hour'', it was first broadcast on the NBC Radio network ...

'' (TV variety series) – Himself (1959) *''

Oldsmobile Music Theatre ''Oldsmobile Music Theatre'' is an American musical anthology television series that was broadcast on NBC from March 26, 1959, until May 7, 1959. Bill Hayes and Florence Henderson, who were already known as "goodwill salesmen for Oldsmobile", w ...

'' (TV drama series) – Host (1959) *''Kiss Me Kate'' (TV special) – Bill Calhoun/Lucentio (1958) *''Little Women'' (TV musical special) – John Brooke (1958) *''Yeoman of the Guard'' (''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'' TV special) – Colonel Fairfax (1957) *''

The Big Record ''The Big Record'' is an American television music variety series that aired from September 18, 1957, to June 11, 1958, on CBS. Originally an hour-long show, it was changed to 30 minutes beginning on March 26, 1958. It was hosted by Patti Page, ...

'' (TV variety series) – Himself; multiple appearances (1957) *''Club 60'' (TV variety series) – Himself (1957) *''

Max Liebman Presents ''Max Liebman Presents'', aka ''Max Liebman Spectaculars'', is an American television musical variety series, presented monthly in a 90-minute format on NBC, beginning September 12, 1954, and ending on June 6, 1956. Throughout the show's run, epi ...

'' (TV variety series) – Himself (1956) *''

The Ernie Kovacs Show ''The Ernie Kovacs Show'' is an American comedy show hosted by comedian Ernie Kovacs, first shown in Philadelphia during the early 1950s, then nationally. The show appeared in many versions and formats, including daytime, prime-time, late-nigh ...

'' (TV variety series) – Himself (1956) *''Rocket Revue'' (TV variety series) – Himself (1956) *''Variety'' (TV special) (1955) *''The Percy Faith Hour'' (TV variety series) (1955) *''The Woolworth Hour'' (TV variety series) (1955) *'' General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein'' (1954) *

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

's ''

Toast of the Town ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Nig ...

'' (TV variety series) (1953) *''

'' (film) – Chance Whitelaw (1952)

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

: Outstanding Actor, Daytime Drama Series (nomination) (1975 and 1976) *

Soapy Awards ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, was an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977–1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presented ...

: Actor of the Year (1977) *''Daytime TV Magazine'' Reader's Poll: Best Actor (1973, 1976, 1977, and 1978) *''Afternoon TV Magazine'': Best Actor (1974) *''Photoplay Magazine'' Gold Medal Award: Favorite Daytime Male Star (1977 and 1978) In 2016, the Bill Hayes Prize in Musical Theater was created by the National Association of Teachers of Singing. On April 29, 2018, the

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), also known as the National Television Academy until 2007, is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of televisio ...

presented Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

References

External links

* * * *
Radio interview with Doug Miles WSLR1953– Bill Hayes '47 Stars On Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Me and Juliet'Lifetime Achievement Awards Video Presentation
on 45th Annual

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

"The Ballad of Davy Crockett"
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Bill 1925 births 2024 deaths American male film actors American male singers American male soap opera actors American male television actors Apex Records artists Cadence Records artists DePauw University alumni Military personnel from Illinois People from Harvey, Illinois Singers from Illinois United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps pilots of World War II United States Navy personnel of World War II