Kay Armen
Armen (center) in "Hit the Deck" musical (1955)
Background information
Birth nameArmenuhi Manoogian
Born(1915-11-02)November 2, 1915
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OriginAmerican Armenian
DiedOctober 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 95)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)singer

Armenuhi Manoogian (Armenian: Արմենուհի Մանուկեան); November 2, 1915 – October 3, 2011), better known by her stage name Kay Armen, was an American-Armenian singer popular during the 1940s and 1950s.[1] Her career in show business spanned almost six decades; she worked on stage and in radio, television, and film. She wrote multiple songs, performed in nightclubs and recorded many records.[2]

Radio

Armen was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Robert Manoogian, Sr., was a professional wrestler billed as Bob Monograph.[3] She first appeared on radio at WSM in Nashville, Tennessee,[4] performing on 12 programs per week.[5] In 1947, she had her own weekly 15-minute program, titled Kay Armen-Songs, on NBC-Blue.[6]

Television and Film

She appeared in a number of roles, notably in the 1959 NBC sitcom Love and Marriage and on screen in the 1955 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical Hit the Deck and the 1961 film Hey, Let's Twist!. She was also a songwriter with compositions, including "Be Good to Yourself", "My Love and I" and "It’s a Sin to Cry Over You".[2]

Personal life

Robert Manoogian, Jr. (January 4, 1918 – April 3, 2002), her younger brother, was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his work with National Wrestling Alliance in the 1940s as Bobby Managoff.[2]

Kay Armen died in 2011 in New York City at the age of 95.

Filmography

  • 1955: Hit the Deck as Mrs. Ottavio Ferrari
  • 1959-1960: Love and Marriage as Sophie (TV series, 18 episodes)
  • 1961: Hey, Let's Twist! as Angie
  • 1980: Jimmy B. & André as Mama Butsicaris (TV movie)
  • 1981: Paternity as Claudia Feinstein

References

  1. ↑ Find-a-Grave profile for Kay Armen
  2. 1 2 3 "Kay Armen dies at 95. Singer appeared in MGM's 'Hit the Deck'". Variety. November 17, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Frank Gotch Breaks Leg". 3 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Kay Armen, TV, Radio Singer To Appear At Fair". Bedford Gazette. Pennsylvania, Bedford. The Bedford Gazette. August 1, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved November 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ↑ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 15.
  6. ↑ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 37.
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