Born:
Born on April 3, 1924 as Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff. Her father was a music teacher.
Birthplace:
Evanston, Ohio
Early Years:
As a young girl, Doris dreamed of becoming a dancer. She started taking dance lessons when she was 6 years old. A car accident when she was 13 injured her leg, preventing her from pursuing this goal. As with the saying "When one door closes, another one opens," Doris became interested in singing after the accident. Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Goodman were some of her influences. Under the guidance of Grace Raine, a voice coach, Doris began to improve and develop her own style of singing.
Becoming Famous:
She later adapted the stage name "Doris Day," the surname derived from the title of a song ("Day After Day") that won her a spot on a radio station. At 17, she briefly became the vocalist of Bob Crosby and the Bobcats before joining Les Brown's band. It was with Brown's band that Doris began to attract attention. With hits like "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" and "Sentimental Journey," Doris eventually signed under Columbia Records and became one of the most sought after band vocalists of her time.
Selected Albums:
Doris Day made 29 studio albums, among them are:Young Man With a Horn (1950) Lullaby of Broadway (1951) By The Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) Calamity Jane (1953) Young At Heart (1954) Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) Day By Day (1956) Hooray for Hollywood (1958) Showtime (1960) Duet (1962) Love Him! (1963)
Other Songs:
She had over 50 hit songs including: "Secret Love," (Academy Award winner) "Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)," (Academy Award winner) "Love Somebody," "It's Magic" and "A Guy Is A Guy."
Movies:
Doris later transitioned to movies, making over 30 films including:Romance on the High Seas Storm Warning On Moonlight Bay The Man Who Knew Too Much Teacher's Pet Calamity Jane Love Me Or Leave Me Pillow Talk (where she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress) Love Comes Back That Touch of Mink Move Over Darling The Pajama Game With Six You Get Egg Roll
Other Accomplishments/Awards:
Interesting Facts:
Her third husband, Marty Melcher, was her manager for 17 years. When he died in 1968, Doris found out that he had mismanaged her earnings leaving her broke. She sued Melcher's lawyer and in 1974, she was awarded around $22 million in damages.
Her son, Terry Melcher, became a musician and record producer. He passed away in 2004 due to melanoma.
More Information:
For more info, visit Doris Day's official website. Also see this video of her singing "Secret Love" from Youtube.
