Singer and TV Personality Jaye P. Morgan Dies at 94
Jaye P. Morgan, known for 1950s pop hits and her role as a judge on The Gong Show, died at age 94 in Washington, her family announced.
Jaye P. Morgan, a singer who achieved several Top-10 Billboard hits in the mid-1950s and later became a regular judge on the television talent show The Gong Show, died on Monday at age 94, her family said. Morgan, who lived in Castle Rock, Washington, was born Mary Margaret Morgan on Dec. 3, 1931, in Mancos, Colorado, and began performing in a family vaudeville act as a child. She rose to chart success with songs such as “That’s All I Want From You,” which reached No. 3, and “The Longest Walk,” which peaked at No. 6.
In addition to her recording career, Morgan appeared on several early television programs, including the ABC quiz show Stop the Music, her own NBC variety series in 1956, and frequent guest spots on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She later joined The Gong Show, where she was noted for giving a controversial act a perfect score and for a wardrobe incident that led to her dismissal from the program.
Beyond game shows, Morgan acted in a range of series and films from the 1960s through the 1990s, sang theme songs for movies and sitcoms, and recorded a pop-R&B album produced by David Foster in 1976. She was survived by her son, Paul, and her former husband, pianist-composer Artie Kane.