Dick Haymes

Dick Haymes
in State Fair (1945)
Born	Richard Benjamin Haymes September 13, 1918(1918-09-13) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	March 28, 1980(1980-03-28) (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, USA
Spouse	Edith Harper (1939; annulled) Joanne Dru (1941-1949) Nora Eddington (1949-1953) Rita Hayworth (1953-1955) Fran Jeffries (1958-1965) Wendy Smith (1966-1980)

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

Biography

Haymes was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1918.^[1][2] His mother, whom Haymes predeceased, was Irish-born Marguerite Haymes (1894–1987), a well-known vocal coach and instructor. Dick Haymes became a vocalist in a number of big bands, worked in Hollywood, on radio, and in films throughout the 1940s/1950s.

World War II

Haymes's birth in Argentina to non-U.S. citizens meant he was not legally an American citizen. In order to avoid military service during World War II he asserted his non-belligerent status as a citizen of Argentina, which was neutral. Hollywood-based columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper seized upon this at the time, questioning Haymes' patriotism; but the story had little effect on Haymes' 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 at Ellis Island, which confirmed his hypertension.^[3] However, Haymes' decision would come back to haunt him in 1953 when he went to Hawaii (then a territory and, technically, not part of the United States) without first notifying immigration authorities. On trying to return to the mainland United States Haymes was almost deported back to Argentina but somehow won his battle to remain in the United States.

Later years

He experienced serious financial problems later in life and at one point was forced into bankruptcy.^[4]

Marriages

Haymes was married six times. His more notable marriages were to film actresses Joanne Dru (1941–1949), Rita Hayworth (1953–1955), and Fran Jeffries (1958–1964). He was also married to Nora Eddington, a former wife of Erroll Flynn. Haymes' wives bore him six children in all. His daughter, Stephanie Haymes, was married to musician Bernie Taupin.

Death

Dick Haymes died in Los Angeles from lung cancer in 1980. He was 61 years old.

Discography

78rpm albums

Dick Haymes Sings - Carmen Cavallaro at the Piano - Irving Berlin Songs (1948 Decca Record)

Original LPs

• Rain or Shine (1955)
• Moondreams (1957)
• Look at Me Now! (1956 or 1957)
• Richard the Lion-Hearted - Dick Haymes that is! (1960)

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

• Dick Haymes Comes Home! (1973)

Selected CD compilations

• (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)

Filmography

• Dramatic School (1938)
• Du Barry Was a Lady (1943)
• Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
• Irish Eyes Are Smiling (1944)
• State Fair (1945)
• Diamond Horseshoe (1945)
• Do You Love Me (1946)
• The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947)
• Carnival in Costa Rica (1947)
• Up in Central Park (1948)
• One Touch of Venus (1948)
• St. Benny the Dip (1951)
• Hollywood Fun Festival (1952)
• All Ashore (1953)
• Cruisin' Down the River (1953)
• Betrayal (1974) (TV)
• Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)

Hit records

Year	Single	Chart positions
		U.S.	U.S. R&B
1941	"A Sinner Kissed an Angel"(with Harry James)	15
1942	"The Devil Sat Down and Cried"(with Harry James & Helen Forrest)	15
	"Idaho"(with Benny Goodman)	4
	"Take Me"(with Benny Goodman)	10
	"Serenade In Blue"(with Benny Goodman)	17
1943	"It Can't Be Wrong"	1	2
	"In My Arms"	3
	"You'll Never Know"	1	1
	"Wait For Me, Mary"	6
	"I Never Mention Your Name"	11
	"I Heard You Cried Last Night"	13	8
	"Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey"	5
	"For the First Time"	13
1944	"I'll Get By"(with Harry James)	1
	"Long Ago (and Far Away)"(with Helen Forrest)	2
	"How Many Times Do I Have To Tell You"	27
	"How Blue the Night"	11
	"It Had To Be You"(with Helen Forrest)	4
	"Together"(with Helen Forrest)	3
	"Janie"	26
1945	"Laura"	9
	"The More I See You"	7
	"I Wish I Knew"	6
	"Till the End of Time"	3
	"Love Letters"	11
	"I'll Buy That Dream"(with Helen Forrest)	2
	"Some Sunday Morning"(with Helen Forrest)	9
	"That's For Me"	6
	"It Might As Well Be Spring"	5
1946	"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows"(with Helen Forrest)	7
	"It's a Grand Night For Singing"	21
	"Oh! What It Seemed To Be"(with Helen Forrest)	4
	"Slowly"	12
	"Come Rain or Come Shine"(with Helen Forrest)	23
	"In Love In Vain"(with Helen Forrest)	12
	"You Make Me Feel So Young"	21
	"Why Does It Get So Late So Early"(with Helen Forrest)	22
	"On the Boardwalk"	21
1947	"For You, For Me, Forevermore"(with Judy Garland)	19
	"How Are Things In Glocca Mora"	9
	"Mam'selle"	3
	"There's No Business Like Show Business"(with Bing Crosby & Andrew Sisters)	25
	"Ivy"	19
	"Naughty Angeline"	21
	"I Wish I Didn't Love You So"	9
	"And Mimi"	15
1948	"Teresa"(with Andrews Sisters)	21
	"Little White Lies"(gold record)	2
	"You Can't Be True, Dear"	9
	"Nature Boy"	11
	"It's Magic"	9
	"Ev'ry Day I Love You"	24
1949	"Bouquet of Roses"	22
	"Room Full of Roses"	6
	"Maybe It's Because"	5
	"The Old Master Painter"	4
1950	"Roses"	29
	"Count Every Star"(with Artie Shaw)	10
	"Can Anyone Explain"	23
1951	"You're Just In Love"(with Ethel Merman)	30
	"And So To Sleep Again"	28
1956	"Two Different Worlds"	80

Musical theatre

• Miss Liberty (1951, Dallas Theatre)

See also

• Al Lerner (composer)

References

1. ^ Prigozy, Ruth (June 2006). The Life of Dick Haymes: No More Little White Lies. University Press of Mississippi.  [1]
2. ^ See also Social Security Death Index for Richard Haymes (SS#113-05-9919). His birthdate is frequently incorrectly given as 1916
3. ^ Prigozy, The Life of Dick Haymes, op cit, p. 48
4. ^ Prigorzy, The Life of Dick Haymes, op cit, p. 177. "By the early sixties I was a desperate alcholic. I had been forced into bankruptcy with a half million dollars in debts and no assets."

Further reading

• Prigozy, Ruth (June 2006). The Life of Dick Haymes: No More Little White Lies. University Press of Mississippi. 

External links

Biography portal

• Dick Haymes at the Internet Movie Database
• Dick Haymes at AllRovi
• Dick Haymes at Allmusic
• Homepage of: 'The Dick Haymes Society'
• Haymes' entry at Solid! - The encyclopedia of big band, lounge, classic jazz and space-age sounds
• Dick Haymes: Hollywood's Balladeer Supreme article by Laura Wagner at Classic Images - Films of the Golden Age (online magazine)
• "Dick Haymes". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6001207. Retrieved August 30, 2010. 

Persondata
Name	Haymes, Dick
Alternative names	Haymes, Richard Benjamin
Short description	Argentine actor and musician
Date of birth	September 13, 1916
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date of death	March 28, 1980 (aged 61)
Place of death	Los Angeles, California, U.S.