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Dick Haymes

Argentine singer, songwriter and actor (1918–1980) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dick Haymes
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Not to be confused with Dick Haynes.

Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentine singer, songwriter and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, and songwriter.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...
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Early life

Haymes was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1918.[1][2] According to Haymes's obituary in the New York Times, "His father was a rancher of English descent and his Irish mother had been a musical comedy singer. His parents traveled widely and he grew up in France, Montreal, California and Switzerland."[3]

Career

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At the age of 17 Haymes moved to Los Angeles, where he initially worked as a stunt man and film double. Two years later, in 1937, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a vocalist in a number of big bands.[4] By the early 1940s Haymes was singing with the Harry James orchestra.[5] On September 3, 1942, Frank Sinatra introduced Haymes on radio as his replacement in the Tommy Dorsey band.[6][7]

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Dick Haymes in State Fair (1945)

In 1945, Haymes co-starred with Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine in the musical State Fair. He teamed with female vocalist Helen Forrest for many hit duets during World War II, including "Together", "I'll Buy That Dream", and "Long Ago and Far Away"; he sang with Judy Garland on two Decca recordings of songs from the film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, in which he appeared with Betty Grable. From 1944 to 1948, he had his own radio program, The Dick Haymes Show, first on NBC and later on CBS.[8]

He paired repeatedly with the Andrews Sisters on a dozen or so Decca collaborations, including the Billboard hit "Teresa", "Great Day", "My Sin", and a 1952 rendering of the dramatic ballad "Here in My Heart", backed by the sisters and Nelson Riddle's lush strings. His duets with Patty Andrews were also well received, both on Decca vinyl and on radio's Club Fifteen with the sisters, which he hosted in 1949 and 1950. He also joined Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters for 1947 session that produced the Billboard hit "There's No Business Like Show Business", as well as "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)". His popular renditions of tender ballads such as "Little White Lies" and "Maybe It's Because" were recorded with celebrated arranger Gordon Jenkins and his orchestra and chorus.[9]

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World War II and attempted deportation

Haymes's birth in Argentina to non-U.S. citizens meant he was not an American citizen. In order to avoid military service during World War II, Haymes asserted his nonbelligerent status as a citizen of Argentina, which remained neutral until almost the end of the war. Hollywood-based columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper questioned Haymes' patriotism, but the story had little effect on his career. About that time, he was classified 4-F by the draft board because of hypertension. As part of his draft examination, he was confined for a short period to a hospital on Ellis Island, which confirmed his diagnosis of hypertension.[10]

In 1953 Haymes went to Hawaii (then still a territory of the United States) to visit actress Rita Hayworth, whom he later married.[11] On returning to the U.S. mainland in August he was arrested for deportation under the McCarran–Walter Act for refusing to enter U.S. military service, and therefore was not entitled to live in the country.[12] He appealed, and in 1955 won his battle to remain on the basis that Hawaii was a geographical part of the United States, and thus he had never left it.[13]

Personal life

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Dick Haymes in 1966

Haymes experienced alcoholism and had serious financial problems later in life, by the early 1960s declaring bankruptcy with $500,000 in debts.[14]

He appeared as unscrupulous doctor Elroy Gantman in a 1974 episode of the TV show Adam-12.

Through his mother's nationality, Haymes spent his last years as an Irish citizen.[citation needed]

Marriages

Haymes was married six times. His first marriage to Edith Harper (1939) occurred when she claimed to be pregnant but was annulled after it was discovered that she was not.[15] Haymes's other wives comprised film actresses Joanne Dru (1941–1949), Nora Eddington (a former wife of Errol Flynn) (1949–1953), Rita Hayworth (1953–1955) and Fran Jeffries (1958–1964), and British model Wendy Smith (1966). Haymes had six children—three with Joanne Dru, one with Fran Jeffries, and two with Wendy Smith.[3]

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Death

Haymes died from lung cancer on March 28, 1980, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 61 years old.[4]

Discography

78-rpm albums

Original LPs

LP compilations

  • Dick Haymes (1950s)
  • Little White Lies (1958)
  • Dick Haymes – Maury Laws Orchestra / Featuring Cy Coleman (1960s)
  • Love Letters (1960s)
  • Spotlight On – Dick Haymes Sings Romantic Ballads – Featuring Johnny Kay (1960s)
  • Easy (1973)
  • Imagination (1982) (also available on CD)

Live LP albums

Selected CD compilations

  • (2016) Dick Haymes You'll Never Know His 53 Finest 2 CDset (Retrospective)
  • (1990) Richard the Lion-Hearted – Dick Haymes that is! (1990) re-issue of the vinyl album
  • Imagination (1992)
  • The Very Best of Dick Haymes, Vol. 1 (1997)
  • The Very Best of Dick Haymes, Vol. 2 (1997)
  • The Complete Columbia Recordings – with Harry James and Benny Goodman (1998)
  • Little White Lies: 25 Original Mono Recordings 1942-1050. Living Era. ASV Mono. CD AJA 5387 (2001)
  • Christmas Wishes (2002, radio transcriptions)
  • Golden Years of Dick Haymes (2003)
  • The Complete Capitol Collection (2006)
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Filmography

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Hit records

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Musical theatre

The Big Broadcast of 1944, - A Lee Gruber, Shelly Gross off Broadway production, fall of 1979 – Devon, PA, Detroit, MI, and Westbury, NY

Radio appearances

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See also

References

Further reading

External links

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