Kay Armen, 95, Dies
Kay Armen with Archbishop Khajag Barsamian in 2009
NEW YORK — Kay Armen died on October 3, after a short illness, at the age of 95. Born on November 2, 1915 in Chicago, Armen (née Armenuhi Manoogian) was the first of four children born to Armenian parents. In 2008, Armen was honored with a pontifical encyclical and the St. Sahag-St. Mesrob Medal from the Catholicos of All Armenians, the highest honor bestowed by the worldwide Armenian Church to artists for their lifetime advancements in the arts and culture.
In the 1980s, New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral honored her with its “St. Vartan Award” for her longstanding support of the cathedral construction project and for her continuing contributions to its cultural life.
Affectionately known as “Charmin’ Kay Armen,” she had an illustrious show business career, which spanned almost 60 years in the radio, television, stage, screen and recording industries. A singer, actress and composer, she made many records and performed on stage, in nightclubs, films and on television.
Her many radio hits include the successful “Stop the Music” program with Bert Parks, on both radio and later on TV. At one time Armen was heard on all three national radio networks, CBS, NBC and ABC, with various programs. Playwright William Saroyan and his cousin, Ross Bagdasarian (creator of the “Chipmunks”), wrote Come on-a My House for Armen and it was later recorded by many artists, including Rosemary Clooney.
On television, she starred in the hit sitcom “Love and Marriage,” and Ray Bolger’s “Washington Square,” in which she was his singing star and was a regular guest on many talk/variety shows, including “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “The Merv Griffin Show” and “The Mike Douglas Show.”
She made her screen debut in the 1955 MGM musical smash, “Hit the Deck,” appearing with co-stars Vic Damone, Debbie Reynolds, Tony Martin, Jane Powell and Ann Miller. The production finale from “Hit the Deck” in which Armen sings Hallelujah is featured in the MGM musical retrospective “That’s Entertainment!” (1974).
In 1995, President Bill Clinton presented her with the National Medal of Honor for the Arts, and in 2000, she received the Handel Medallion from New York City.
In October 2005, Armen was honored by the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The prestigious Opera News Magazine called Armen “one of the great pop contraltos of all time.”
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Kay Armen,… : eine Stimme VOLL unglaublicher Wärme und Tiefe, mit der ich
erst -vor wenigen Tagen “bekannt” wurde (ich suchte nach Musik von Anton Karas,
und traf dabei auf die wundervolle Interpretation ” I´m in the middle…” Ich war vollkommen verzaubert von dieser Stimme— (Ich, Geburtsjahr 1948, … ich kann mich nicht errinnern, dass ich je zuvor diese Stimme habe singen gehört : Sie wäre mir
DEN MOMENT… durch und durch gegangen, sodaß ich sie nicht wieder vergessen hätte, mein Leben lang-) : wundersam, warm… und… ein unglaublicher Schmelz, und ! eine Riesen-Seelenzärtlichkeit … kommt von dieser Stimme auf die zuhörende
Welt herüber.- … Auch im hohen Alter von 92… be-eindruckt in der Aufzeichnung die
Künstlerin durch…eine IrrsinnsWärme in ihren Songs, und was sie vorlebt im Auftritt, das trifft wohl alle Liebesfähigen prompt ins Herz: so verstehe ich… aus diesen Song-Auftritten die eine Botschaft :
” Merkt : Die Jahre gehn…Die Liebe bleibt.-”
Vielen DAnk Kay Armen*****
My mother-in-law, Rose Circosta, who died on 9/28/97 at the age of 94 always spoke with great affection for Kay Armen. My father-in-law had died of a heart attack at a young age and my mother-in-law was left with 4 daughters. My wife Patricia was the youngest at age 4. My mother-in-law had little income and tried to do the best for her family, who all grew up wonderful.
During these early days, my mother-in-law had been invited to a relatives wedding. She had little money and wondered what she would wear. She had seen Kay Armen on a tv variety show and was impressed about the outfit she wore. Figuring that Kay was about her size, she took a leap of faith and she wrote to Kaye and asked if she would be able to borrow the dress that Kay had worn on the show. Kaye so beautifully responded to my mother-in-law and told her that the dress, along with another one, would be left for her at the Paramount Theatre. She asked my mother-in-law her shoe size and they did match. She also left her shoes. When my mother-in-law went to pick up the garments, Kaye left a note that she could keep them. Needless to say, my mother-in-law was overwhelmed. She proudly wore that dress to the wedding and a few other affairs that followed afterward over the next couple of years. She received wonderful compliments on her attire and always remained thankful to the wonderful, generous donor.
I just found out about Kay’s death and wanted to send this note of gratitude for such a kind and wonderful human being who brightened up the life of a young widow many years ago.
Have ‘Armens’ typed career from 1945-1976 in her own hand with a signed Decca Record “Tin Pan Alley”