Bill Hayes (actor) - Bill Hayes Actor

William "Bill" Foster Hayes III (born June 5, 1925 in Harvey, Illinois) is an American dramatic actor and former Billboard Hot 100 #1 recording artist. Following a career as a musician, he achieved fame as an actor when he began playing Doug Williams on NBC's daytime serial Days of Our Lives in 1970. Hayes originated the character of Doug and is the only actor to ever play that role. He still appears in the same role on Days of Our Lives.

Career

Hayes was a singer on the Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca variety show Your Show of Shows in the early 1950s. 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, and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. He also starred on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Me and Juliet (1953). He had other small hits in the 1950s including "The Berry Tree" and covers of "High Noon" and "Wringle, Wrangle". "Wringle Wrangle" was his only other Hot 100 hit, reaching #33 in 1957.

His singing career also found its way to his storyline on Days of Our Lives; in the story, Doug was introduced as a convict who was also a lounge singer.

The character of Doug returned in 1986 and 1987, as well as 1993 and 1996. Most recently, he has been on the show since 1999. His character was killed off in the spring of 2004 by Dr. Marlena Evans (to reduce the show's budget). In an elaborate plot hatched by head writer James E. Reilly, Doug Williams turned up alive on a tropical island and went home to his wife.

Bill and his wife, Susan, are also published authors with books including "Like Sands Through The Hourglass" and "Trumpet".

He and his wife Susan have supported the West Texas Rehab Center, hosting the annual telethon in Abilene, Texas.

Personal life

Hayes graduated from DePauw University with a double major in music and English and became a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

He has been married to Days of our Lives co-star Susan Seaforth since 1974. His character's partnership with Seaforth's character, Julie, is widely considered to be the first supercoupling on the American daytime serials.

Their relationship was so popular that they were featured on the front page of Time magazine in 1976, the first and only soap opera stars to hold that distinction to date.

In 2005, the couple published their joint autobiography, Like Sands Through the Hourglass.

Hayes was previously married to Mary Hobbs from 1947 to 1969; they share five children.

Roles

• Days of our Lives (Doug Williams: 1970 -1984; 1986â€"1987; 1993; 1994; 1996; 1999â€"present (recurring)
• Miracle at Gate 213 (TV Film) - Louis Darling (2013)
• Frasier (TV Series) (Frasier Has Spokane) - Sully (2002)
• Matlock (TV Series) (The Reunion) - George Dutton (1988)
• Cade's County (TV Series) (1972)
• The Interns (TV Series) (The Price of Life) - Vern Anderson (1970)
• The Wednesday Play - In Two Minds (1967)
• Once Upon a Mattress (TV Special) - Minstrel (1964)
• The Cardinal (Film) - Frank (1964)
• True Story (TV Series) - Larry Foster (1961)
• Here's Hollywood (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)
• Bell Telephone Hour (TV Variety Series) - Himself (1960)
• Voice of Firestone (TV Variety Series) - Himself (1959)
• Oldsmobile Music Theater (TV Drama Series) - Host (1959)
• Kiss Me Kate (TV Special) - Bill Calhoun/Lucentio (1958)
• Little Women (TV Special-Musical) - John Brooke (1958)
• Yeoman of the Guard (Hallmark Hall of Fame TV Special) - Colonel Fairfax (1957)
• The Big Record (TV Variety Series) - Himself-multiple appearances (1957)
• Club 60 (TV Variety Series) - Himself (1957)
• Max Liebman Presents (TV Variety Series) - Himself (1956)
• The Ernie Kovacs Show (TV Variety Series) - Himself (1956)
• Rocket Revue (TV Variety Series) - Himself (1956)
• Variety (TV Special) (1955)
• Percy Faith Hour (TV Variety Series) (1955)
• The Woolworth Hour (TV Variety Series) (1955)
• Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town (TV Variety Series) (1953)
• Stop, You're Killing Me (Film) - Chance Whitelaw (1952)

Awards and nominations

• Daytime Emmy Award: Outstanding Actor, Daytime Drama Series (nomination) (1975 and 1976)
• Soapy Awards: 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.