Entertainer Jaye P. Morgan Dies at 94
Jaye P. Morgan, a 1950s pop singer who later became a well-known television personality, died of natural causes at age 94 in Washington.
Jaye P. Morgan, a singer who scored several Billboard hits in the mid-1950s and later became a frequent guest on talk shows and game shows, died on Monday in Longview, Washington, at the age of 94, according to her longtime attorney and friend Mark Sendroff. She had been residing with her nephew and niece.
Morgan’s early career began in a family vaudeville act before she signed with RCA Records and produced hits such as “That’s All I Want From You” and “The Longest Walk.” In the 1970s she gained additional fame as a judge on the chaotic “The Gong Show,” where she once removed her shirt during a performance, an incident she later described as “great exposure” in a 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Beyond music, Morgan appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Muppet Show,” and several television series including “Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” Her film credits include “The All-American Boy,” “Loose Shoes,” and “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.”
Born Mary Margaret Morgan in a log cabin in Mancos, Colorado, she began performing at age three with her family’s traveling act. After her father’s death, she pursued a solo singing career, joining Frank De Vol’s orchestra in 1950 and later recording for RCA. She also hosted her own short-lived TV program in 1956 and released several solo albums.
Morgan was married three times and is survived by a son, Paul Kane.