Singer-actress Jaye P. Morgan dies at 94

Singer and actress Jaye P. Morgan died on Aug. 24 at the age of 94, her representatives said. The cause was reported as natural. Morgan had been living with her nephew and niece, Duke Morgan Spencer and Peggy Sue Spencer, in Longview, Washington, and the family plans to mourn privately without a public memorial.

Morgan began her career as a child performer with the family act The Morgan Family and gained national attention in the 1950s with recordings such as "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries" and "That's All I Want from You." She was named best female vocalist of 1954 by DownBeat and Cash Box magazines. Her television work included regular spots on ABC's "Stop the Music," CBS's "The Robert Q. Lewis Show," and a one-season variety series, "The Jaye P. Morgan Show," in 1956. She later appeared frequently on talk and game shows, notably as a panelist on NBC's "The Gong Show" from 1976 to 1978.

Born Mary Margaret Morgan in 1931 in Mancos, Colorado, she adopted the stage name Jaye P. Morgan after a high-school class-treasurer role. After leaving school at 17, she performed with bandleader Frank DeVol and recorded for Derby and RCA Records. Her film credits include roles in "The All-American Boy," "The Gong Show Movie," "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."

Morgan was married three times, including to musician Art Kane, with whom she adopted a son, Paul Kane. She is survived by her nephew and niece.

"When I left school at 17 and began working with Frank DeVol, he liked [the name], so it stuck," Morgan said in a 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times.