Kay Armen
| Kay Armen | |
|---|---|
.png) Armen (center) in "Hit the Deck" musical | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Armenuhi Manoogian |
| Born |
November 2, 1915 Chicago, Illinois |
| Origin | American Armenian |
| Died |
October 3, 2011 (aged 95) New York City, New York |
| Occupation(s) | singer |
Armenuhi Manoogian (Armenian: Արմենուհի Մանուկյան); November 2, 1915 – October 3, 2011), better known by her stage name Kay Armen (Armenian: Քեյ Արմեն), was an American Armenian singer popular during the 1940s and 1950s.[1] Her career in show business spanned almost six decades, as she worked in radio, television, onstage and in film. She also wrote many songs, performed in nightclubs and recorded many records.[2]
Radio
Armen was born in Chicago, Illinois. She first appeared on radio at WSM in Nashville, Tennessee,[3] performing on 12 programs per week.[4] In 1947, she had her own weekly 15-minute program, Kay Armen-Songs, on NBC-Blue.[5]
Television and Film
She appeared in a number of roles, notably in NBC 1959 sitcom Love and Marriage, and on screen in 1955 MGM musical Hit the Deck and 1961 film Hey, Let's Twist!. She was also a songwriter with compositions including "Be Good to Yourself", "My Love and I" and "It’s a Sin to Cry Over You".[2]
Personal life
Her younger brother Robert Manoogian, Jr. (January 4, 1918 – April 3, 2002) was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his work with National Wrestling Alliance in the 1940s as Bobby Managoff.[2]
Kay Armen died in 2011 in New York City, New York at the age of 95.
Filmography
- 1955: Hit the Deck as Mrs. Ottavio Ferrari
- 1959-1960: Love and Marriage as Sophie (TV series, 18 episodes)
- 1961: Hey, Let's Twist! as Angie
- 1980: Jimmy B. & André as Mama Butsicaris (TV film)
- 1981: Paternity as Claudia Feinstein
References
- ↑ Find-a-Grave profile for Kay Armen
- 1 2 3 "Kay Armen dies at 95. Singer appeared in MGM's 'Hit the Deck'". Variety. November 17, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Kay Armen, TV, Radio Singer To Appear At Fair". Pennsylvania, Bedford. The Bedford Gazette. August 1, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved November 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 15.
- ↑ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 37.
External links
- Kay Armen at the Internet Movie Database