Robert William Haymes (March 29, 1923 – January 27, 1989), also known by the stage names Robert Stanton and Bob Stanton, was an American singer, songwriter, actor and
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...
and television host. He is best remembered for co-writing the song "
That's All", part of the
Great American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant early-20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes.
Definition
According to the Great American Songbook Foundation: The "Great American Songbook" ...
. He was the younger brother of singer and actor
Dick Haymes.
[Solid! biography of Bob Haymes](_blank)
Early life
Haymes was born in
White Plains, New York
(Always Faithful)
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. His mother was Marguerite Wilson, an American of Irish descent. Benjamin Haymes, from
Buenos Aires, Argentina was of English descent and is listed as Bob's father on his birth certificate. Bob Haymes's older brother was actor-singer
Dick Haymes, who was born in Argentina. Marguerite left Argentina to live in New York and eventually moved to Europe with her sons. Bob spent much of his youth living in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
in a townhouse overlooking the
Musée Rodin. As a youth, he attended boarding schools throughout Europe.
Career
Haymes began his career in the early 1940s as a vocalist in the bands of Carl Hoff and
Bob Chester.
In 1942 Haymes began work, under the name "Bob Stanton", for the radio show ''
Gillette Cavalcade of Sports''. He continued with the program until 1946, when it was turned into a television show on
NBC; he became the host of the television show until 1949. He also served as the host of other NBC shows, all under the name "Bob Stanton", including game show ''
Campus Hoopla
''Campus Hoopla'' is an American game show that ran on the NBC Television network from December 27, 1946, until it ended on December 12, 1947.
Format
The show was centered on a group of teenagers ("complete with 'cheerleaders' and 'students'") in ...
'' during the show's run from 1946 to 1947, ''
Television Screen Magazine
''Television Screen Magazine'', also known as ''TV Screen Magazine'', is an NBC Television Network series which debuted 17 November 1946, airing Sundays at 8:30 p.m. ET, and ended on July 23, 1949.
Participants
Hosts and panelists included ...
'' in 1948, the country music show ''
Village Barn'' in 1949, and the show ''Around the Town'' in 1950.
During this time Haymes began acting in films, including ''
Is Everybody Happy?'' (1943) and ''
Mr. Winkle Goes to War'' (1944). In several films, including the 1945 ''
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood
''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Frances Rafferty. Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was produced by Mart ...
'', he was credited as "Robert Stanton" (a screen name that had been used earlier in the 1940s by film actor
Kirby Grant).
In 1952, he had his only known television acting job, starring in the
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network (also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, simply DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of bein ...
sitcom ''
It's a Business
''It's a Business'' was a television sitcom that aired on the DuMont Television Network for 10 episodes.
Broadcast history
''It's a Business'' aired on DuMont from March 19 to May 21, 1952, replacing ''Famous Jury Trials'', and was a half-hour pro ...
'' with
Leo De Lyon; the two played Broadway song publishers. He appeared under the name "Bob Haymes".
In the early 1950s, Bob Haymes began work as a songwriter. In 1952, he co-wrote the song "
My Love, My Love" with
Nick Acquaviva
Nick Acquaviva ''(né'' Nicholas Paul Acquaviva; 27 May 1927 – 2 November 2003), was an American composer, pianist and band leader.
Career
Acquaviva was born in Beacon, New York, where his father Mike Acquaviva ran a barber shop on Main Street ...
, which became a hit when recorded by
Joni James (Acquaviva's eventual sister-in-law) later that year. That same year, Haymes copyrighted the song entitled, "C'est Tout," which was the early incarnation of his most notable song, "
That's All." In 1953, he refined the song's lyrics with Alan Brandt, who was subsequently credited as co-writer.
The song was first performed by
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...
in 1957, and became a hit when recorded by
Bobby Darin in 1959.
It has since been recorded by dozens of artists including
Frank Sinatra,
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for " The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an ...
,
Johnny Mathis
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
,
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blue ...
,
Bennie Green,
Johnny Lytle,
The Three Sounds,
Lou Donaldson,
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songb ...
, and
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
.
In the mid-'50s, he co-wrote the song "They Say It's Spring" with Marty Clark; the song was made popular by jazz singer
Blossom Dearie
Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice.Profile at AllMusic/ref> Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City ov ...
, who recorded it on her 1957 album ''
Give Him the Ooh-La-La''. During that same time, he wrote the song "I Never Get Enough of You", which was recorded by his brother, Dick and also by The Billy Taylor Trio on his 1957 album The New Billy Taylor Trio for ABC Paramount Records
In 1968, Bob Haymes served as the national television director for
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was t ...
's
presidential campaign.
Bob Haymes biography
, AMC Movie Guide. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
Filmography
* '' Two Señoritas from Chicago'' (1943)
* '' Sailor's Holiday'' (1944)
* '' Swing Out the Blues'' (1944)
* '' Blonde from Brooklyn'' (1945)
* ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood
''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Frances Rafferty. Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was produced by Mart ...
'' (1945)
* '' So Dear to My Heart'' (1948)
Final years
During the 1970s and 1980s, Haymes owned and operated an audio visual production company and continued to write music. In 1984, he recorded his final album, ''That's All: Bob Haymes Sings & Plays Bob Haymes''. The album was recorded in Haymes's studio, That's Not All Studios, in Port Washington, New York, and released by Serendipity Recordings, Inc. It included four new songs he wrote during the early 1980s after meeting Dee Workman. The album, including the new songs, is still for limited sale by private collectors, on Amazon.com and eBay.
Personal life and death
Haymes married Dian Owens in 1941. They had three children Candice, Vivienne, and Robert.
Haymes married Workman on January 26, 1985. His step-daughter from that marriage is film and television actress Eaddy Mays. Haymes and Workman remained married until his death on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of Charleston. The island is na ...
from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
(ALS) on January 28, 1989.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haymes, Bob
1923 births
1989 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American musicians
American male film actors
American game show hosts
American radio personalities
American people of English descent
American people of Irish descent
Neurological disease deaths in South Carolina
Deaths from motor neuron disease
Songwriters from New York (state)
Major League Baseball broadcasters