Kay Armen

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Kay Armen
Armen (center) in "Hit the Deck" musical (1955)
Armen (center) in "Hit the Deck" musical (1955)
Background information
Born
Armenuhi Manoogian

(1915-11-02)November 2, 1915
OriginAmerican Armenian
DiedOctober 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 95)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupationsinger

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.[citation needed] 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.[1]

Radio

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Armen was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Robert Manoogian, Sr., was a professional wrestler billed as Bob Monograph.[2] She first appeared on radio at WSM in Nashville, Tennessee,[3] performing on 12 programs per week.[4] In 1947, she had her own weekly 15-minute program, titled Kay Armen-Songs, on NBC-Blue.[5]

Television and Film

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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".[1]

Personal life

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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.[1]

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

Filmography

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  • 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

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  1. ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Open access icon
  4. ^ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. P. 15.
  5. ^ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. P. 37.
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