Dennis Day
| Dennis Day | |
|---|---|
Dennis Day in 1960.
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| Born |
Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty May 21, 1916 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 22, 1988 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
| Alma mater | Manhattan College |
| Occupation | Singer, actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1939–1988 |
| Spouse(s) | Peggy Almquist (m. 1948; his death 1988) |
| Children | 10 |
Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American singer, radio, television and film personality and comedian of Irish descent.
Day was born and raised in The Bronx New York City in the Throggs Neck section, the second of five children born to Irish immigrants Patrick McNulty and Mary (née Grady) McNulty. His father was a factory electric power engineer. Day graduated from Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in New York City, and attended Manhattan College in the Bronx, where he sang in the glee club.
Day appeared for the first time on Jack Benny's radio show on October 8, 1939, taking the place of another famed tenor, Kenny Baker. He remained associated with Benny's radio and television programs until Benny's death in 1974. He was introduced (with actress Verna Felton playing his mother) as a young (nineteen-year-old), naive boy singer – a character he kept through his whole career.
Mary Livingstone, Benny's wife, brought the singer to Benny's attention after hearing Day on the radio during a visit to New York. She took a recording of Day's singing to Benny, who then went to New York to audition Day. The audition resulted in Day's role on the Benny program.
Day's first recorded song was "Goodnight My Beautiful".
Besides singing, Dennis Day was a mimic. On the Benny program, Day performed impressions of various noted celebrities of the era, including Ronald Colman, Jimmy Durante and James Stewart.
From 1944 through 1946 he served in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant. On his return to civilian life, he continued to work with Benny while also starring on his own NBC show, A Day in the Life of Dennis Day (1946–1951). On Benny's show, Day's having two programs in comparison to Benny's one was the subject of numerous jokes and gags, usually revolving around Day rubbing Benny's, and sometimes other cast members' and guest stars' noses in that fact (i.e. "Dennis, why do you have two horns on your bicycle?" "Why shouldn't I? I've got two shows!"). His last radio series was a comedy/variety show that aired on NBC's Sunday afternoon schedule during the 1954–55 season.
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