Kaye 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 at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room, New York's Waldorf Astoria, and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.
Early life
Born Catherine Louise Stephens[1] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 21, 1932, was an only child. Her family eventually moved to Cleveland, where Stevens got her start as a drummer and singer as a teenager.[2][3]
Career
Acting
Stevens started out in film in The Interns (1962), where she played the character Didi Loomis, and its 1964 sequel The New Interns. She also appeared in The Man From the Diners' Club (1963). Stevens had a role in another movie, Let's Switch! (1975), and in 1983 appeared in the film Jaws 3-D. She was strongly considered for the title role for the musical Funny Girl in the early 1960s. The producers later cast Barbra Streisand in the role.[citation needed]
In her role on Days of Our Lives, Stevens introduced a new song, “You Light Up My Life” to the television audience. Her new song 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”. [citation needed]
After Stevens' big break at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, she went from singing to small audiences to singing before sold-out audiences in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. From there she went on tour with The Rat Pack, Johnny Carson and Bob Hope.
Personal life and death
Stevens married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato. The couple performed throughout the eastern United States.[6] She had no children. Amato predeceased Stevens.[4] Stevens married Woodrow Maxwell Melvin Jr. in 1977 and divorced him in 1978.[citation needed]
Stevens lived in Margate, FL for more than 45 years (from the late 1950s until 2004).[7] She did public relations for Jack Marquesee, the city's developer. Many Margate residents referred to Stevens as the "First Lady of Margate" because every time she appeared on game shows, she would place a sign next to her nameplate that read "Hello Margate." She promoted Margate as "a great place to live and raise a family." Stevens served as grand marshal in many of the city's parades on July 4, and a city park is named in her honor. When Stevens was home in Margate for the Christmas holiday, she would gather her neighbors and friends and go to the Margate Hospital to sing Christmas carols to the patients.
In her last 20 years, Stevens did Christian ministry and only performed Christian or patriotic music.[6]
She lived in retirement in Summerfield, Florida.[7] Stevens died on December 28, 2011, aged 79, after battling breast cancer and blood clots in The Villages Hospital, The Villages, Florida according to Gerry Schweitzer, a close friend. She left no immediate survivors.[4][7]
Vietnam
Stevens went on a USO tour with Bob Hope in 1965. She traveled to Vietnam with Hope and a group of fellow entertainers in the hopes of boosting the morale of thousands of American soldiers.[7] She was quoted as saying “I came back in 1965 and my life was in shambles because of what I saw.”
In 1985 she made a call to N-E-W-H-O-P-E, a telephone counseling service. She found a new faith in Jesus and started her own ministry. The Brewer Christian College and Graduate Schools (Florida) awarded Stevens with a Doctor of Humane Letters for her humanitarian efforts as well as her role in supporting the US soldiers in Vietnam with Hope's tour.[citation needed]
Honors, Awards, and nominations
Stevens received a Golden Globe nomination in 1964 for her work in the film The New Interns. It was announced that the city of Margate would erect a statue of her, spending as much as $35,000 to create a life-size bronze statue in Stevens' likeness.[8] City officials named a park in her honor.[9]
