Did Doug from Days of Our Lives pass away?

For over fifty years, actor Bill Hayes, whose real name is William Foster Hayes III, has been most recognized for his portrayal of Doug Williams on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, a position he held from 1970 to 2023. Hayes rose to popularity in 1955 with his song “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” which peaked at number one on the Billboard charts, before going on to have a stellar acting career.

Born in Harvey, Illinois, Hayes attended Whittier Grade School and Thornton Township High. He served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps and completed his Bachelor of Arts at DePauw University, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

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.

Throughout his affairs, 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.

Did Doug from Days of Our Lives pass away?

Tragically, on January 12, 2024, actor Bill Hayes, who was primarily known for starring Doug Williams on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, passed away at the age of 98. Bill died of natural causes.

 

Source: DKlassgh.net