Kaye Stevens

Kaye Stevens (born Catherine Louise Stephens, also sometimes spelled Kay Stevens, July 21, 1932 – December 28, 2011) was an American singer and actress. Her big break in show business came at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, when the headliner for the night, Debbie Reynolds, became ill and Stevens filled in for the night. She then went on to do small shows in New York City at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room and the Waldorf Astoria, and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

Career Acting Stevens started out in film in The Interns (1962), where she played Didi Loomis, a nurse, and its 1964 sequel The New Interns. She also appeared in The Man From the Diners' Club (1963), which starred Danny Kaye. Stevens had a role in the television movie Let's Switch! (1975) and in 1983 appeared in the film Jaws 3-D. She was considered for the title role for the musical Funny Girl (Barbra Streisand) in the early 1960s.

In her role on Days of Our Lives, Stevens introduced a new song, "You Light Up My Life", to the television audience. It was a huge success, and soon after, Kaye decided that she had to write new songs and create an album: "I knew then that if I got the kind of response from one song, I had to do an album of inspirational, motivational, spiritual-pop music."

She lived in retirement in Summerfield, Florida, and died at age 79 on December 28, 2011, after battling breast cancer and blood clots, according to Gerry Schweitzer, a close friend. She left no immediate survivors.

Vietnam In 1965, Stevens went on a USO tour in Vietnam with Bob Hope and with a group of fellow entertainers to boost the morale of American soldiers.

Filmography The Interns (1962) as Nurse Didi Loomis The Man from the Diners' Club (1963) as Bea The New Interns (1964) as Didi The Great Masquerade (1974) as Officer Fulton Jaws 3-D (1983) as Mrs. Kellender

Television Year Title Role Notes - Hollywood Squares Herself TV game show - To Tell the Truth Herself TV game show - Celebrity Sweepstakes Herself TV game show - $25,000 Pyramid Herself TV game show - The Price Is Right Herself TV game show - Password Herself TV game show 1964 Toast of the Town Singer variety show, 5 episodes 1962-1964 The Ed Sullivan Show Singer/Comedian variety show, 6 episode 1967 The Dean Martin Show Singer variety show, 2 episodes 1967 Everybody's Talking Herself talk show, 1 episode 1967 The Hollywood Palace Singer variety show, 1 episode 1968 Family Affair Julie Madden 1 episode 1969 Playboy After Dark Singer 1 episode 1969 The Temptations Show Singer variety show 1973 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Herself talk show, 4 episodes 1974 Match Game Herself TV game show, 15 episodes 1974 Tattletales Herself TV game show 1974-1979 Days of Our Lives Jeri Clayton TV soap opera 1975 Let's Switch! Flo Moore 1978 Police Woman Roz 1 episode 1979 CHiPs Woman in Phone booth 3 episodes 1979 240-Robert Valerie Barnes 1 episode 1983 Jaws 3-D Mrs. Kellender 1989 B.L. Stryker 1 episode 1990 Superboy Mother 1 episode 1992 Miss America: Behind the Crown Monica

Recordings Albums "Ruckus at the Riviera" – Columbia Records "Kaye Stevens in Person at the Copa" – Liberty Records "Not So Great Songs from Not So Great Movies" – Liberty Records "Playgirls" – Liberty Records "The Grass Will Sing for You" – Liberty Records "The Temptation Shows Guest Starring Kaye Stevens" – Motown Records

Singles "You Brought Me Back to Love Again" – Sun Records "Someone Must Have Hurt You a Lot" – Capitol Records "Friends Are Friends Forever" – NLT Records "I'm Going Back to Tennessee" – NLT Records