October 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 95) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)
singer
Musical artist
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.
^DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 15.
^Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 37.