Bill Hayes
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Foster Hayes III, born on June 5, 1925 in Harvey
, Illinois
) is a long-time American
actor
and Billboard Hot 100 #1 artist. Following a 20 year-long career as a musician, he achieved fame once again when he began playing Doug Williams on NBC's long-running Days of Our Lives
in 1970. Hayes originated the character of Doug and is the only actor to ever play that role. At this time, 41 years after his first appearance, he is still appearing in the same role on Days Of Our Lives.
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. 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 (This was done 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.
with a double major in music and English and became a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha
fraternity.
He has been married to fellow 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 1975, 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 and share five children.
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) is a long-time American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and Billboard Hot 100 #1 artist. Following a 20 year-long career as a musician, he achieved fame once again when he began playing Doug Williams on NBC's long-running Days of Our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
in 1970. Hayes originated the character of Doug and is the only actor to ever play that role. At this time, 41 years after his first appearance, he is still appearing in the same role on Days Of Our Lives.
Career
Mr. Hayes was a singer on the Sid CaesarSid Caesar
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an Emmy award winning American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.- Early life :Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York,...
and Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
variety show Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
in the early 1950s. During the Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for five weeks. He also starred on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's Me and Juliet
Me and Juliet
Me and Juliet is a musical comedy by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and their sixth stage collaboration. The work tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage manager Larry woos chorus girl Jeanie behind the back of her electrician boyfriend, Bob...
(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 (This was done to reduce the show's budget). In an elaborate plot hatched by head writer James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly was an American soap opera writer. Known for his work as the head writer of NBC's Days of our Lives and creator/head writer of Passions, Reilly won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing as co-head writer for Guiding Light in 1993.Reilly died suddenly in October...
, Doug Williams turned up alive on a tropical island and went home to his wife.
Personal life
Hayes graduated from DePauw UniversityDePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
with a double major in music and English and became a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
fraternity.
He has been married to fellow 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
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
on the American daytime serials.
Their relationship was so popular that they were featured on the front page of Time magazine in 1975, 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 and share five children.
Roles
- Days of our Lives (Doug Williams: 1970 -1984; 1986–1987; 1993; 1996; 1999–present (recurring)
- The Wednesday Play - In Two Minds (1967)
- Minstrel The Cardinal (1964)
- Frank Fermoyle (1963)
- True Story - Larry Foster (1961)
Awards and nominations
Nominations- Daytime Emmy AwardDaytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
: Outstanding Actor, Daytime Drama Series (1975 & 1976) - Soapy AwardsSoapy AwardsThe Soapy Awards were an award presented by Soap Opera Digest magazine to the best work on American soap operas from 1977 until 1983. Unlike their successors, the Soap Opera Digest Awards, this accolade lacked a great deal of glamour. The statue itself was a tall geometic crystal were presented...
Outstanding Actor (1965)
See also
- Doug and Julie Williams
- SupercoupleSupercoupleA supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
- Radio interview with Doug Miles WSLR
- 1953- Bill Hayes '47 Stars On Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Me and Juliet'