Bill Hayes Biography, Age, Cause of Death, Career, Net Worth & more

Bill Hayes was an American actor and recording artist, known for his song “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” and his role as Doug Williams on NBC's Days of Our Lives. He gained fame as a younger actor in the late 1960s.

Bill Hayes Biography

William Foster Hayes III was the birth name of the late American actor and recording artist Bill Hayes. He rose to fame in 1955 with his song “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” which peaked at number one on the Billboard charts.

Born on June 5, 1925, in Harvey, Illinois, and Bill attended Whittier Grade School and Thornton Township High. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps in 1943 and trained as a fighter pilot before returning to complete his Bachelor of Arts requirements at DePauw University. He was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and graduated in 1947 with a dual major in Music and English.

After a successful career as a musician, Hayes began to focus on dramatic acting parts in the late 1960s, leading him to be cast in a role that gained him additional fame for a younger generation. This new chapter began in 1970 when he originated the character of Doug Williams on NBC's Days of Our Lives, which he continued to play until 2023.

He appeared on the variety show Your Show of Shows in the early 1950s. He also starred in the black comedy Stop, You're Killing Me and was a key figure in the Davy Crockett craze in 1955. Hayes' version of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” was the most popular, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and selling over two million copies.

He also starred in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Me and Juliet on Broadway. Hayes also had other small hits in the 1950s, including “The Berry Tree” and covers of “High Noon” and “Wringle, Wrangle.”

On Days of Our Lives, Hayes played a convict and lounge singer, Doug, who returned in 1986, 1987, 1993, and 1996. He was killed off in 2004 by Dr. Marlena Evans but later resurfaced alive on a tropical island. In 2017, a documentary about Hayes's life was released online.

Bill Hayes Age

Bill was 98 years old when he passed away on 12^th January 2024.

Bill Hayes's Cause of Death

No official report about the death of Bill has been disclosed, however, we do not know what killed Hayes. Per speculations, Bill might have died from a natural cause.

Bill Hayes Family

Hayes wed Mary Hobbs, with whom he had five children, from 1947 to 1969. Subsequently, he wed Susan Seaforth Hayes, his 1974 co-star on Days of Our Lives, with whom he shared a Time cover in 1976. Their joint autobiography, Like Sands Through the Hourglass, was released in 2005. In addition, the pair hosted the yearly telethon in Abilene, Texas, in favor of the West Texas Rehab Center.

Bill Hayes Career

In the 1950s, Hayes was a singer on Your Show of Shows and starred in the black comedy Stop, You're Killing Me. His version of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” was the most popular, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and selling over two million copies.

Hayes also starred in Me and Juliet on Broadway. He had other small hits in the 1950s, including “The Berry Tree” and covers of “High Noon” and “Wringle, Wrangle.”

On Days of Our Lives, Hayes played a convict and lounge singer, Doug, who returned in 1986, 1987, 1993, and 1996. He was killed off in 2004 by Dr. Marlena Evans but later returned to the show in 1999. In 2017, a documentary about Doug was released.

Bill Hayes Net Worth

His net worth was $1.7 million at his time of passing.

 

Source: DKlassgh.net