Bill Hayes, born William Foster Hayes III on June 5, 1925, in Harvey, Illinois, began his career as a singer and actor on the Broadway stage and in nightclubs.
As a naval airman during World War II, Bill Hayes later studied at De Pauw University, where he met and married his first wife, Mary.
Their marriage produced five children, and Bill went on to receive his master's degree at Northwestern University.
After his initial foray into show business, Bill Hayes' professional career took off when he landed a lead singing/stooge role in Olsen & Johnson's zany burlesque revue "Funzapoppin'" in 1949.
This led to him joining the pair on their short-lived TV show and, ultimately, his resident crooning on Your Show of Shows (1950) starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca.
Bill Hayes also performed in vaudeville and broke into films with a supporting role in Stop, You're Killing Me (1952).
Despite a wife and family to support, he left the show on his own volition for the chance to star in a new Broadway musical, "Me and Juliet," which opened with moderate success in 1953.
Bill Hayes also happened to record "The Ballad of Davey Crockett," which became a surprise #1 Billboard hit and sold over three million copies.
In the late 1950s, he became a nightclub and TV-variety fixture, later managing to flex his vocal chords in such musicals as "Bye Bye Birdie," "Brigadoon," "The Pajama Game," and "George M!"
The 1960s were a slow, difficult time for Bill professionally and personally, which culminated in the breakup of his marriage.
Luck and talent played a part when he was hired to join the cast of Days of Our Lives (1965) playing the role of Doug Williams.
The character was originally a louse and con artist, but grew more reputable after his character fell in love with feisty troublemaker Julie Olson, played by Susan Seaforth.
Their seesaw romantic relationship became one of daytime's top story lines of the 1970s.
Off-screen, the couple also ignited sparks and, despite their major age difference (she is 18 years his junior),they married on October 12, 1974.
In 1984, after 14 years and two daytime Emmy nominations, he and Susan left the show due to their dwindling status.
While Susan went on to join the cast of The Young and the Restless (1973) the following year, Bill refocused on his singing by performing on the cabaret circuit and recording a few albums.
The couple returned on and off to their soap opera alma mater over the years, but in 1999 they became part of the regular cast again with a stronger storyline.
Bill Hayes is still performing on stage, more recently playing Beauregard in "Mame" and with his wife in productions of "A Christmas Carol," "Love Letters," and "Same Time, Another Year," which is a sequel to "Same Time, Next Year."
