Doris Day Biography | American Singer, Dancer, Actress

Doris Mary Anne Day

Born: April 3, 1924
Place of Birth: Cincinatti, Ohio

Major Notes:

Born Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff, she had her name changed to Day as she started her career.
Doris Day's career through singing, dancing, movies, and TV featured a total popular entertainer.
As a child Day had been encouraged by her parents, who were both involved in music, to take dancing lessons.
Her parents had divorced when Day was 12 and it became her mother's goal to foster her daughter's musical career.
At the age of 13, Day and a male friend entered and won a prominent dance contest.
The family decided to move to Hollywood to further promote Day as a dancer, however, on the way she was involved in a car accident and received a broken leg.
Doris Day was taken to live with her uncle who happened to own a tavern and she started singing along with songs that were playing on the juke box.
Since Day was still in her teens, her mother arranged that she take vocal lessons which led to singing on the radio.
In 1932, she was heard by orchestra leader Barney Rapp and he asked Day to join his band as a vocalist.
It was Rapp who also recommended she change her name to "Day" after hearing her sing the song "Day After Day."
When only 17, Doris Day auditioned and won a spot in the band of Bob Crosby, brother of the great singer Bing Crosby.
Soon after she was approached to join the great band of Les Brown which meant Doris Day would be recognized as a top singing star.
After two unsuccessful marriages, in 1947 Day was ready to leave Hollywood and return to Cincinnati; however, she was persuaded to broaden her talents by acting in a musical movie.
The movie, "Romance on the High Seas", became a hit and Doris Day proved to be a competent actress as well as a top singer.
Throughout the 50's and 60's, more movies and albums followed which made Day one of the most successful performers of the day.
In 1951, Day had married again to Marty Melcher who served as her personal business manager.
Following his death in 1968, Day learned that her husband, without her knowledge, had virtually lost their total life's earnings and she was broke.
Fortunately, again without her knowledge, prior to his death, Melcher had signed Day to perform in a new television sit-com, "The Doris Day Show."
The show had a very successful run and Day won a multi-million dollar settlement against her former lawyer who had helped Melcher in handling her finances.
In 1989, Doris Day was given the highest honor in the industry, a Golden Globe Award for Lifetime Achievement.

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Major Notes:

Born Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff, she had her name changed to Day as she started her career.

Doris Day's career through singing, dancing, movies, and TV featured a total popular entertainer.

As a child Day had been encouraged by her parents, who were both involved in music, to take dancing lessons.

Her parents had divorced when Day was 12 and it became her mother's goal to foster her daughter's musical career.

At the age of 13, Day and a male friend entered and won a prominent dance contest.

The family decided to move to Hollywood to further promote Day as a dancer, however, on the way she was involved in a car accident and received a broken leg.

Doris Day was taken to live with her uncle who happened to own a tavern and she started singing along with songs that were playing on the juke box.

Since Day was still in her teens, her mother arranged that she take vocal lessons which led to singing on the radio.

In 1932, she was heard by orchestra leader Barney Rapp and he asked Day to join his band as a vocalist.

It was Rapp who also recommended she change her name to "Day" after hearing her sing the song "Day After Day."

When only 17, Doris Day auditioned and won a spot in the band of Bob Crosby, brother of the great singer Bing Crosby.

Soon after she was approached to join the great band of Les Brown which meant Doris Day would be recognized as a top singing star.

After two unsuccessful marriages, in 1947 Day was ready to leave Hollywood and return to Cincinnati; however, she was persuaded to broaden her talents by acting in a musical movie.

The movie, "Romance on the High Seas", became a hit and Doris Day proved to be a competent actress as well as a top singer.

Throughout the 50's and 60's, more movies and albums followed which made Day one of the most successful performers of the day.

In 1951, Day had married again to Marty Melcher who served as her personal business manager.

Following his death in 1968, Day learned that her husband, without her knowledge, had virtually lost their total life's earnings and she was broke.

Fortunately, again without her knowledge, prior to his death, Melcher had signed Day to perform in a new television sit-com, "The Doris Day Show."

The show had a very successful run and Day won a multi-million dollar settlement against her former lawyer who had helped Melcher in handling her finances.

In 1989, Doris Day was given the highest honor in the industry, a Golden Globe Award for Lifetime Achievement.