Doris Day
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Who Was Doris Day?
A top film star of the s and s, Doris Day sang with several big bands before going solo in In the s, she made a series of popular film musicals, including Calamity Jane () and The Pajama Game (). Day was an advocate for animal welfare and founded several organizations devoted to the cause.
Early Life
Born Doris von Kappelhoff, Day studied ballet and tap dance growing up. She even won a local dance contest with her partner Jerry Doherty in her early teens. But her dreams of dancing professionally were shattered along with her leg in a car accident. The daughter of a music teacher, Day started taking voice lessons during her recovery. Ella Fitzgerald was one of her early inspirations as she developed her own vocal style.
Early Music Career
Day's first singing performances were on local radio programs. She also sang with bandleader Barney Rapp and his group for a time. Rapp encouraged her to adopt a stage name, and she changed her last name to Day after the song "Day After Day."
In , Day landed a spot as a vocalist with the band led by Bob Crosby — brother of crooner Bing Crosby and a successful bandleader in his own right.
The Biggest Bombshells from Doris Day's Autobiography: Dating Ronald Reagan and More
Doris Day‘s life wasn’t always as sunny as her chipper personality suggested.
The legendary actress and singer, who died at 97 on Monday at her home in California, lived through a series of heartbreaks that she documented in her tell-all Doris Day: Her Own Story. Day worked with writer A.E. Hotchner to give fans a revealing glimpse into the life of the seemingly perfect girl — an image she said she detested.
“I’d like to deal with the true, honest story of who I really am,” she told Hotchner. “This image I’ve got … It has nothing to do with the life I’ve had.”
Read some of the most surprising details from her life below.
Doris Day Dies Nearly 2 Months After Celebrating 97th Birthday
She survived a horrific car accident that cut short her career as a child dancer
Day was a distinguished child dancer in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, before a tragic car accident cut her career short in at the age of The actress was driving with friends when a train struck their car twice, shattering her right leg. Day speaks about it in her book, saying that at first she didn’t feel the e
Surprise! Doris Day Celebrates Her 95th (not 93rd) Birthday — See the Exclusive Portrait
Hollywood legend Doris Day‘s actual birthday may be Monday, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get the party started a little early.
The Pajama Game star and animal-rights activist released a special birthday portrait exclusively to PEOPLE ahead of her 95th birthday on Monday. (Yes, that’s right, the Associated Press broke the news that Day will actually turn 95 — not 93 as it was previously believed — but who can blame a Hollywood legend for shaving a few years off?)
In a statement, the legendary actress told the AP that she hadn’t focused too much on birthdays, but noted “It’s great to finally know how old I really am!”
The actress is planning on spending her actual birthday with a low-key affair at her home in Carmel, California.
“The #DorisBirthdayWish video and photo campaign has been a huge hit and Doris is thrilled that many people have made to go along with their entries,” her publicist Charley Cullen Walters tells PEOPLE. “She has been loving viewing them throughout the weekend and will continue to do so through the birthday tomorrow so we hope as many people will submi
A Look Back at Doris Day's Life and Legacy in Photos
Day, who became known as Hollywood's girl-next-door in the '40s and '50s, posing on a red couch for a photo call.
Her blonde hair, blue eyes, and red lipstick became her signature beauty look.
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A black and white portrait of Day standing on a wooden bridge at the Warner Bros Studios lot in Los Angeles.
Day was an animal welfare activist, so it's not surprising she looked elated to pose with six colorful poodles for the August cover of Collier's magazine.
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For an afternoon of riding her red Schwinn bicycle, Day wore a white button-down shirt, high-waisted pants, and black ballet flats—perfecting her girl-next-door look.
Posing in a blue silk scarf and white dress for a photoshoot in
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This year, she starred in MGM’s Love Me or Leave Me as a singer in the Roaring Twenties.
As her career in film took off, Day simultaneously became a style star, as shown here in this photo of her in a blue polo shirt with two multic
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