Kay Armen | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Armenuhi Manoogian |
Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | November 2, 1915
Origin | American Armenian |
Died | October 3, 2011 New York City, New York, U.S. | (aged 95)
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]
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]
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]
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.