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    Singer, actress Kaye Stevens dies in Florida

    THE VILLAGES, Fla. (AP) — Singer and actress Kaye Stevens, who performed with the Rat Pack and was a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," has died at a central Florida hospital. She was 79.

    Close friend Gerry Schweitzer confirmed that Stevens died Wednesday at the Villages Hospital north of Orlando following a battle with breast cancer and blood clots.

    Stevens, a longtime South Florida resident, performed with Rat Pack members including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop. She also sang solo at venues like Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room in New York City.

    During the Vietnam War era, Stevens performed for American soldiers in the war zone with Bob Hope's USO tour.

    According to a handout from friend Rhonda Glenn, Stevens was born Catherine Louise Stephens in Pittsburgh. Her family eventually moved to Cleveland, where a teenage Stevens got her start as a drummer and singer. She later married now deceased bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato, and the couple performed throughout the eastern U.S.

    During a gig in New Jersey, Stevens was discovered by Ed McMahon, Carson's longtime sidekick, which led to new bookings. Her big break came when she was playing a lounge at The Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. Debbie Reynolds became ill and was unable to perform in the main room. Stevens filled in and was an instant hit.

    Besides singing, Stevens also acted in film and television. She appeared in six movies, earning a Golden Globe nomination in 1964 for "The New Interns." She was a regular celebrity player on game shows and appeared as a regular on "Days of Our Lives" from 1974-79.

    During the past two decades, Stevens started her own ministry and began performing only Christian and patriotic music. She staged benefits to help build St. Vincent Catholic Church in her longtime home of Margate, Fla., where city officials named a park in her honor.

     
    • Linda  •  4 mths ago
      Rest in peace Kaye, she was a great singer and actress.
      • Who 4 mths ago
        Yes she was Linda.
    • Scott54  •  Gainesville, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      She was one talented woman in an era when women had a very difficult time breaking through. She will be missed.
    • Zman  •  4 mths ago
      To those of you who felt the need to post inappropriate and rude comments, I have one question. What did this lady do in her lifetime that offends you enough to warrant your hateful and ignorant comments?
      Do something useful in your life and maybe someone will remember you with the love and gratitude that this lady is receiving upon her passing!!!!
      • Col B 4 mths ago
        Their problem, Zman, is that they're thick. Simple as that.
      • Vincent 4 mths ago
        also people don't have lives they sit around their computer and type hateful messages because they don't dare to them in person. They also have no social skills. It's a pity some Americans are so dumb!
      • A Yahoo! User 4 mths ago
        Zman ... Trolling is a way to be noticed without risking the honesty of a real confrontation. It's entirely one-sided, of course, because all WE'RE seeing is the fiction -- the artifact, if you will -- which the troll knows is an illusion, so the real person remains innocent of the abuse, clean and guilt-free. The joy of anonymity. Actually, it does serve a purpose in that it feeds the absuive demons within some people -- provides a channel for them -- which allows them to function more comfortably in real society, when and if they get out into it. If you don't want to be bothered by trolls, ignore them, or at least do not respond to them. I must tell you, though, that your post is an open invitation to trolls. These boards represent the REAL public ... and not all of the public are civil, polite, sensitive to others' feelings ... or particularly intelligent.
    • OhNo  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  4 mths ago
      Wow, all the real singers are dying. Leaving us with the fake music.
      • Reyna 4 mths ago
        It's a sad statement...the thing is... I agree with you.
      • nhatrang 4 mths ago
        So true!!!!
    • JOAN Z  •  Eureka Springs, Arkansas  •  4 mths ago
      Kaye Stevens had a great voice and she could belt out a song any place anytime, she did not have to take off most of her clothes to get noticed cause she had talent, real talent.
    • Blondie  •  Kalamazoo, Michigan  •  4 mths ago
      I enjoyed the music and fun of that era and it is sad to see another one pass. I love that she moved over into her own. Today's music is not the same and while there are some awesome performers, there is no Rat Pack with musical tones, wonderful lyrics and that special camaraderie.
    • dominant  •  Baltimore, Maryland  •  4 mths ago
      These entertainers are going fast. All we have now are wannabes who know nothing more than revealing all they can while onstage and lipsyn- what a waste of my time with today's nontalents!
      • Maurice 4 mths ago
        Well they are a reflection of what the world is coming to - the END. A society that cannot produce fresh new talent, real talent, is only doomed to decay.
      • mike oxbig 4 mths ago
        Back in my day....We banged on rocks with sticks and lynched minorities, and we liked it. Idiotic drivel.
      • rattkiller 4 mths ago
        aint that the truth... all this crap that shows like american idol and such that are turning out is enough to make you sick.
    • judy  •  Long Beach, Mississippi  •  4 mths ago
      This is the era I call "class" Those were acts back then and just sorry the kids of today will never know what real TV is. Kaye and the others will be greatly missed, its a time we will never see again and so proud to have had them around for me.
      • Donna 4 mths ago
        AMEN!!!!....
      • mike oxbig 4 mths ago
        Yeah...and Sammy wasn't allowed to enter the casinos through the front door. Great era.
    • D in Houston  •  Houston, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Another piece of a wonderful era gone, and one more seriously ill. As we remember this lady and her talent, let us pray for Etta James, if not her recovery, then an easy passing.
    • Gino  •  4 mths ago
      I used to make fun of my mother when she would be saddened by the passing of a silent movie star that she remembered from her childhood. Now, I understand. These mean comments from our younger generation are because they just don't understand. I'm just wondering who they will miss as they get older. "Stars" come and go these days. None really endure. Goodbye Kaye.
    • Tommy Dodge  •  Michigan City, Indiana  •  4 mths ago
      It's sad that the talent level of today's "stars" doesn't measure anywhere close to those of this classy lady.I miss the talent and class of the performer's of my youth and young adulthood.
    • Kade6767  •  Fort Lauderdale, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      I first moved to south Florida in the early 70s and that's when I had the pleasure of meeting her. I lived in Margate and I was pretty young, but was interested in hearing the stories of the rat pack and Kaye was more than happy to talk about them. What a career she had. Such a nice woman. RIP
    • EddyL  •  4 mths ago
      She was a regular on on the TV talk shows of the 60s. She had a great voice and was very funny.

      RIP
    • Craig L  •  Tampa, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      From all VietNam vets, thanks
    • B-Dodgers  •  Brooklyn, New York  •  4 mths ago
      She must have seen and done, quite a bit..
    • wayne  •  Wichita, Kansas  •  4 mths ago
      I saw her at Cue Chi ,Vietnam....with the Bob Hope Christmas show.
      About 10,000 GI's had a better Christmas because of it. Thanks for
      the memories.
    • marilyn  •  Shallotte, North Carolina  •  4 mths ago
      The older I get It reminds me of so many friends & movie stars who aren't here any longer,,The older I get ,the lonlier it becomes!!!!!
    • Cathy J  •  4 mths ago
      How sad that todays "entertainers" do not understand the class of yesterdays entertainers. She will be missed and her passing is sad. Although it is sad anyone passes, I don't think most of todays entertainers will be missed when they are gone. Most of them today are selfish and totally self centered. I guess the press has alot to do with that. Sad.
    • Kess  •  4 mths ago
      I remember watching her on bob hopes specials when i was a kid.
    • Arnold  •  4 mths ago
      She was a star when singers could actually sing......
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