Bill Hayes

Bill Hayes is an American singer and actor who achieved prominence when his song The Ballad of Davy Crockett hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1955. William Foster Hayes was born on June 5, 1925, in Harvey, Illinois. After becoming a naval airman, he studied at DePauw University and earned his master’s degree at Northwestern University.

Hayes began his career as a singer on Your Show of Shows and appeared in the Broadway musical Me and Juliet. He later pursued a career in acting and landed acting roles in numerous shows. His part in Days of our Lives in 1965 earned him two Emmy nominations. In 1974, he married his Days of our Lives co-star, Susan Seaforth Hayes. The on-screen couple, despite their 18-year age gap, are still happily married to this day. Hayes is turning 96 this year.