Kay Armen

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]

Kay Armen
Armen (center) in "Hit the Deck" musical (1955)
Background information
Birth nameArmenuhi Manoogian
Born(1915-11-02)November 2, 1915
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OriginAmerican Armenian
DiedOctober 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 95)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)singer

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.

Filmography
  • 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
  1. Find-a-Grave profile for Kay Armen
  2. "Kay Armen dies at 95. Singer appeared in MGM's 'Hit the Deck'". Variety. November 17, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  3. "Frank Gotch Breaks Leg". 3 October 2013.
  4. "Kay Armen, TV, Radio Singer To Appear At Fair". Bedford Gazette. Pennsylvania, Bedford. The Bedford Gazette. August 1, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved November 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 15.
  6. Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 37.
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