Doris Day

Born Doris Mary Ann von Kappelhoff on April 3, 1924, in Cincinnati, Ohio, her parents came from German stock. Her father, Frederick Wilhelm Von Kappelhoff, was a music teacher, choir master and church organist and loved classical music. Her mother, Alma Sophia Welz, on the other hand, was an outgoing woman who enjoyed "hillbilly music." Doris was the youngest of three: she had two brothers, Richard, who died before she was born, and Paul who was a few years older. She was named after silent movie actress Doris Kenyon, whom her mother admired. Growing up in the 1930s Doris was attracted to music and dance, eventually forming part of a dance duo which performed locally until a car she was riding in was struck by a train, crushing her right leg, a severe injury that curtailed her ambition to become a professional dancer. However, while recovering, Doris gained a vocal education by listening to the radio, becoming a fan of the embryonic records of upcoming Ella Fitzgerald. At age 15, Doris began performing locally and while working with local bandleader Barney Rapp, she adopted the stage name "Day" after Rapp suggested "Kappelhoff" was too long and cumbersome for marquee appeal. After leaving Rapp, Doris worked with a number of other band leaders including Bob Crosby, and was eventually hired by Les Brown. She had two stints with Brown's band, with marriage to trombonist Al Jordan, birth of her son Terry and subsequent divorce in between. Her 1945 hit "Sentimental Journey," co-written by Brown and recorded with his band, was made at the ideal time, as it reflected the thoughts of weary troops as they returned home from service in Europe and the Pacific. Her radio work (with Bob Hope and later Frank Sinatra) lead to separation (and eventually divorce) from second husband George Weidler. Weidler could see that Doris was becoming a notable personality, and he did not want to be known as Mr. Doris Day. His request for a divorce came via letter while she was performing at the Little Club in New York. Doris married her agent, Marty Melcher, in 1951. He subsequently handled her career as her producer, and decided not renew her contract with Warner Brothers after the completion of Young At Heart in 1954. As a freelance actress, Doris' range of roles increased. Doris was voted Top Box-Office Female Star for four straight years during the early ‘60s, and was among the Top 10 for 10 straight years. The sudden death of Marty Melcher in 1968 was catalyst to Doris' discovering he and business partner Jerry Rosenthal had squandered her earnings, leaving her deeply in debt. Years were taken up suing Rosenthal in the courts, with a large civil judgment eventually awarding Doris $20 million dollars. After legal fees, she received only a fraction of that amount. Doris also discovered Melcher had committed her to a television sitcom series. The 2004 death of Doris' beloved son Terry was a major blow. They weren't just mother and son, but considered one another buddies. Terry was there for Doris when Marty died and helped guide her through the endless legal battles, financial difficulties and launch of her new television series. She has also turned down an honorary Academy Award and Kennedy Center Honors Award because flying to accept these in person would be impossible. However, she did receive a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in February 2008. When she joined the grassroots organization "Actors and Others for Animals" in the ‘70s, she literally went door to door to rescue pets in distress. She then started her own organization, the Doris Day Animal League, and later the Doris Day Animal Foundation. The League became a lobbying group on behalf of animal rights, and is now a part of the Humane Society of the United States. Doris had no idea it would grow into one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the world. The Doris Day Animal Foundation, a hands-on animal welfare charity, continues to operate under Doris' guidance.