Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922) is an American actress, singer, and animal welfare activist. After she began her career as a big band singer in 1939, her popularity increased with her first hit recording “Sentimental Journey” (1945). After leaving Les Brown & His Band of Renown to embark on a solo career, she recorded more than 650 songs from 1947 to 1967, which made her one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century.
As an actress, she became the biggest female film star in the early 1960s, and ranked sixth among the box office performers by 2012. In 2011, she released her 29th studio album, My Heart, which became a UK Top 10 album featuring new material. Among her awards, Day has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Legend Award from the Society of Singers. In 1960, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and in 1989 was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures. In 2004, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush followed in 2011 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award.
Doris Day Awards
- 1953 Academy Award for Best Song “Secret Love”
- 1956 Academy Award for Best Song “Que Sera Sera”
- 1958 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Golden Award with Tony Curtis as the World’s Favorite Actress and Actor
- 1959 Golden Globe for Best Actress in Pillow Talk
- 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Golden Globe Award with Rock Hudson as the Most Popular Stars In The World
- 1962 Golden Globe Award as the World’s Favorite Actress
- 1989 Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, presented by Clint Eastwood
- 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee for recording of “Sentimental Journey”
- 1999 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee for recording of “Secret Love”
- 2004 Presidential Medal of Freedom – highest civilian honour presented by President George W. Bush
- 2008 Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2010 Legend Award from the Society of Singers
- 2011 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Career Achievement Award
- 2012 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee for recording of “Que Sera Sera”
- 2017 German-American Hall of Fame Inductee
Quotes about Doris Day
“Doris Day was one of the most talented and versatile performers of her generation. She had a way of lighting up the screen with her charm and charisma.” – Michael Bublé“”Was watching a Doris Day movie out of the corner of my eye while writing, this evening …I really think Doris Day is the most wonderful lady singer in history” – Brian May (Queen)
“Doris Day had a unique voice and style that was all her own. She was a true artist, a musician who brought joy to millions of people around the world.” – Tony Bennett
“Doris Day was a natural talent. She had a way of making everything look easy.” – Harry Connick Jr.
“All my life, I’ve wanted to be Doris Day.” – Uma Thurman
“Jesus Christ! I would crawl over the mountains of Beverly Hills on my hands and knees if I could do a movie with Doris Day!” – John Wayne
“Doris Day was a true icon, a musician and actress who left an indelible mark on popular culture.” – Diana Krall
“Doris Day was a consummate entertainer. She had a way of connecting with an audience that was truly remarkable.” – Norah Jones
“Doris Day was a legend, a musician and actress whose influence can still be felt today.” – Willie Nelson
“Doris Day was a true star. She had a grace and elegance that was unmatched, and her music continues to inspire and move people today.” – Michael Feinstein
“Doris Day was a gifted performer who brought her own unique style and flair to everything she did. She was a true original.” – Jamie Cullum
“Doris Day was an incredible talent, a musician and actress whose work will always be remembered and cherished.” – Quincy Jones
“Doris Day was one of the greats, a musician and actress whose music and movies continue to bring joy to audiences around the world.” – Paul McCartney
This Jazz Inspiration Profile of Doris Day was sponsored by Sacramento Top 10, the best local list of breweries, wineries, restaurants, hair salons and more.
Sacramento Teagarden Jazz Camp Professor
Bria Skonberg
Sings & Swings Que Sera Sera
Doris Day Personal Life
Doris Day had a complex personal life, marked by both success and personal struggles. Here are some details about her personal life:
- Marriages: Day was married four times. Her first marriage was to trombonist Al Jorden in 1941, with whom she had a son named Terry. Her second marriage was to saxophonist George Weidler in 1946, but they divorced a year later. Her third marriage was to agent and producer Marty Melcher in 1951, and they remained married until his death in 1968. Her fourth and final marriage was to restaurant manager Barry Comden in 1976, but they divorced in 1981.
- Animal welfare: Day was a well-known animal welfare advocate and founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation in 1978. She was known for her love of animals and owned many dogs throughout her life.
- Music career: In addition to her successful acting career, Day was also a popular singer and recorded many hit songs throughout the 1950s and 1960s. She was known for her bright, clear singing voice and her ability to convey emotion through her music.
- Retirement: Day retired from acting in the 1970s and largely withdrew from public life. She lived a quiet, reclusive lifestyle in her later years and devoted much of her time to her animal welfare work.
- Personal struggles: Day had several personal struggles throughout her life, including a difficult childhood and a troubled relationship with her son Terry, who died in 2004. She also reportedly struggled with depression and anxiety
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Overall, Doris Day’s personal life was marked by both success and adversity, and her legacy as an entertainer and animal welfare advocate continues to be celebrated by fans around the world.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Doris Day
Doris Day
With Six You Get Eggroll – 1968
Where Were You When The Lights Went Out – 1968
The Ballad of Josie – 1967
The Glass Bottom Boat – 1966
Do Not Disturb – 1965
Send Me No Flowers – 1964
Move Over Darling – 1963
The Thrill of It All – 1963
Billy Roses’s Jumbo – 1962
That Touch of Mink – 1962
Lover Come Back – 1961
Midnight Lace – 1960
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies – 1960
Pillow Talk – 1959
It Happened to Jane – 1959
The Tunnel of Love – 1958
Teacher’s Pet – 1957
The Pajama Game – 1956
Julie – 1956
The Man Who Knew Too Much – 1955
Love Me or Leave Me – 1954
Young at Heart – 1954
Lucky Me – 1953
Calamity Jane – 1953
By the Light of the Silvery Moon – 1953
April in Paris – 1952
The Winning Team – 1952
I’ll See You in My Dreams – 1951
On Moonlight Bay – 1951
Lullaby of Broadway – 1951
Storm Warning – 1951
The West Point Story – 1951
Tea for Two – 1950
Young Man with a Horn – 1950
It’s a Great Feeling – 1950
My Dream Is Yours – 1949
Romance on the High Seas – 1948
More about Doris Day
Doris Day Discography
Chart Hits
1945
“Sentimental Journey” (w/ Les Brown)
“My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time” (w/ Les Brown)
“‘Tain’t Me” (w/ Les Brown)
“Till the End of Time” (w/ Les Brown)
“Aren’t You Glad You’re You?” (w/ Les Brown)
“Come to Baby Do” (w/ Les Brown)
1946
“You Won’t Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)” (w/ Les Brown)
“Day by Day” (w/ Les Brown)
“I Got the Sun in the Mornin’ (and the Moon at Night)” (w/ Les Brown)
“The Whole World Is Singing My Song” (w/ Les Brown)
1947
“The Christmas Song” (w/ Les Brown)
“Sooner or Later” (w/ Les Brown)
“Papa, Won’t You Dance With Me”
1948
“Thoughtless” (w/ Modernaires)
“Love Somebody” (w/ Buddy Clark)
“Confess” (w/ Buddy Clark)
“Put ’em in a Box, Tie ’em with a Ribbon, and Throw ’em in the Deep Blue Sea”
“It’s Magic”
“My Darling, My Darling” (w/ Buddy Clark)
1949
“Powder Your Face with Sunshine” (w/ Buddy Clark)
“Again” 2
“Everywhere You Go”
“Let’s Take an Old-Fashioned Walk” (w/ Frank Sinatra)
“Now That I Need You”
“Canadian Capers”
“Bluebird on Your Windowsill”
1950
“Quicksilver”
“I Said My Pajamas (and Put on My Prayers)”
“Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later than You Think)”
“Hoop-Dee-Doo”
“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”
“I Didn’t Slip, I Wasn’t Pushed, I Fell”
“A Bushel and a Peck”
1951
“It’s a Lovely Day Today”
“Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)”
“Shanghai”
“Domino”
1952
“A Guy Is a Guy”
“Sugarbush” (w/ Frankie Laine)
“When I Fall in Love”
“No Two People” (w/ Donald O’Connor)
“My Love and Devotion”
“The Cherries”
“A Full Time Job” (w/ Johnnie Ray)
“Ma Says, Pa Says” (w/ Johnnie Ray)
1953
“Mister Tap Toe”
“When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along)”
“Candy Lips” (w/ Johnnie Ray)
“Let’s Walk That-a-Way” (w/ Johnnie Ray)
“Kiss Me Again, Stranger”
“A Purple Cow”
“Choo Choo Train (Ch-Ch-Foo)
1954
“Secret Love”
“The Black Hills of Dakota”
“Lost in Loveliness”
“I Speak to the Stars”
“Someone Else’s Roses”
“If I Give My Heart to You”
“Anyone Can Fall in Love”
“Ready, Willing, and Able”
“Hold Me in Your Arms”
1955
“Foolishly Yours”
“Love Me Or Leave Me”
“I’ll Never Stop Loving You”
“Ooh Bang Jiggily Jang”
1956
“Let It Ring”
“Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”
“Julie”
“Love in a Home”
“The Party’s Over”
1957
“Twelve O’Clock Tonight”
1958
“Teacher’s Pet”
“A Very Precious Love”
“Everybody Loves a Lover”
“Tunnel of Love”
1959
“Love Me in the Daytime”
1960
“Any Way the Wind Blows”
“Please Don’t Eat the Daisies”
“A Perfect Understanding”
1962
“Lover Come Back”
1964
“Move Over Darling”
“Send Me No Flowers”
White Christmas
Silver Bells
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
The Christmas Waltz
Toyland
1967
“Sorry”
