Singer and TV Personality Jaye P. Morgan Dies at 94

Jaye P. Morgan, a singer who rose to fame in the early 1950s and later became a regular television panelist, died Monday in Washington. The family said she lived in Castle Rock, Washington.

Morgan’s recording career began with the 1953 single “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries,” followed by the hit “That’s All I Want from You.” She also recorded songs such as “The Longest Walk” and “Pepper Hot Baby,” and performed as a vocalist on ABC’s “Stop the Music.” In 1956 she hosted her own program, “The Jaye P. Morgan Show,” and appeared on variety series including “The Jackie Gleason Show” and “The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.”

Transitioning to acting in the 1960s, Morgan played roles on CBS’s “General Electric Theater,” “Hennessy,” and NBC’s “The Eleventh Hour.” During the 1970s she was a frequent panelist on “The Gong Show.” She also made numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show,” claiming to have been a guest of Johnny Carson about 150 times.

"Johnny is very raunchy," Morgan told The New York Times in 1981, describing their exchange of humorous telegrams.

Her later credits include a guest spot on “The Muppet Show” in 1978 and small roles in the films “Night Patrol” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” Born Mary Margaret Morgan on Dec. 3, 1931, in Mancos, Colorado, she later adopted the stage name Jaye P. after the financier J.P. Morgan. She was married to pianist-composer Artie Kane and is survived by her son Paul.