As an authentic star in acting and music, Bill Hayes enthralled audiences for over fifty years with his enduring contributions to the beloved soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” In addition to being an accomplished actor, Bill was also a trailblazer, best known for being the first person to serenade daytime television viewers with his soulful voice.
PEOPLE has confirmed that Bill Hayes, a beloved cast member of Days of Our Lives, passed away at the age of 98.
Bill and his spouse, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, are well-known for creating the character of “Doug Williams” in 1970. They were essential members of the Williams-Horton family for more than 50 years.
On social media, fans paid moving homage to him and reminisced about his standout Days of Our Lives episodes. His family hasn’t yet released an official statement with any more information regarding his passing.
Tributes pour in for Bill Hayes
Executive producer of Days of Our Lives, Ken Corday expressed his profound sadness over Bill’s passing and said that stories from both on and off screen will carry on Bill’s lasting legacy. Last summer, Bill Hayes turned 98 years old. On the Peacock soap opera set, his co-stars honored him with a special cake that included a picture from his early years.
“Happy Birthday Bill,” was written on the bottom of the adorable cake, with Susan, eighty, standing next to her husband on this momentous occasion.
As Susan was bringing out the cake, she informed everyone assembled on set that Bill was the first person to ever sing on daytime television. The actors and crew members on the set gave this achievement a hearty round of applause.
The celebration, which included the couple singing “Happy Birthday,” was recorded on camera and posted to their joint Instagram account. The caption complimented the delicious double chocolate cake and thanked the actors and crew on set for celebrating Bill’s 98th birthday.
Bill was honored with the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for his long-running role as Doug Williams in the soap opera. For Bill, the show had special meaning because it was there that he and Susan first connected—they kissed on screen in July 1970.
Their on-screen romance evolved into an off-screen relationship, which culminated in their October 1974 marriage. On October 1, 1976, the couple’s television characters exchanged vows, leading to a second marriage.
William Foster Hayes IV, Bill’s son, is the only survivor.
Remembering Bill Hayes’s legacy
“The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” a song by American actor and recording artist Bill Hayes, became a hit song in 1955, peaking at number one on the Billboard charts. In the late 1960s, Hayes made the switch from a successful music career that started in the late 1940s to dramatic acting roles.
This change in direction led him to a part that gave him newfound notoriety with a younger audience. On NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” he began playing Doug Williams in 1970 and continued to play the character until 2023.
Bill Hayes, whose real name was William Foster Hayes III, was born in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925. He had an incredible career that included acting, music, television, and military service. He joined the U.S. Navy Air Corps in March 1943 while still a freshman at DePauw University and trained to become a fighter pilot.
When the war ended, he was almost ready to receive his commission, but instead, he decided to pursue civilian life after earning his bachelor’s degree in arts from DePauw University in June 1947.
On the Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca variety show “Your Show of Shows” in the early 1950s, Hayes performed and displayed his musical talent. With his rendition of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” in 1955, he became well-known, peaking at the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and moving over two million copies.
In addition to his musical success, Hayes had a presence on Broadway and appeared in the 1952 black comedy “Stop, You’re Killing Me.” Hits like “The Berry Tree,” renditions of “High Noon,” “Wringle, Wrangle,” and a supporting part in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Me and Juliet” (1953) all contributed to his ongoing success.
Later, Hayes found a place to call home as Doug Williams on “Days of Our Lives,” a soap opera. Doug was first introduced on the show as a lounge singer and convict. His storyline ran over several decades, and Hayes played the part again in 1986, 1987, 1993, 1996, and again from 1999 until the character’s death on screen in the spring of 2004.
