Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentine singer, songwriter and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, and songwriter.
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Early life
Haymes was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1918. His father was a rancher of English descent and his Irish mother had been a musical comedy singer. His parents traveled widely and he grew up in France, Montreal, California and Switzerland.
Career
At the age of 17, Haymes moved to Los Angeles, where he initially worked as a stunt man and film double. Two years later, in 1937, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a vocalist in a number of big bands. By the early 1940s, Haymes was singing with the Harry James orchestra.
On September 3, 1942, Frank Sinatra introduced Haymes on radio as his replacement in the Tommy Dorsey band.
In 1945, Haymes co-starred with Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine in the musical State Fair. He teamed with female vocalist Helen Forrest for many hit duets during World War II, including "Together", "I'll Buy That Dream", and "Long Ago and Far Away"; he sang with Judy Garland on two Decca recordings of songs from the film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, in which he appeared with Betty Grable. From 1944 to 1948, he had his own radio program, The Dick Haymes Show, first on NBC and later on CBS.
He frequently paired with the Andrews Sisters over a dozen Decca collaborations, including the Billboard hit "Teresa", "Great Day", "My Sin", and a 1952 rendering of the dramatic ballad "Here in My Heart", backed by the sisters and Nelson Riddle's lush strings. His duets with Patty Andrews were also well received, both on Decca vinyl and on radio's Club Fifteen with the sisters, which he hosted in 1949 and 1950. He also joined Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters for 1947 session that produced the Billboard hit "There's No Business Like Show Business", as well as "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)". His popular renditions of tender ballads such as "Little White Lies" and "Maybe It's Because" were recorded with celebrated arranger Gordon Jenkins and his orchestra and chorus.
World War II and attempted deportation
Haymes's birth in Argentina to non-U.S. citizens meant he was not an American citizen. In order to avoid military service during World War II, Haymes asserted his nonbelligerent status as a citizen of Argentina, which remained neutral until almost the end of the war. Hollywood-based columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper questioned Haymes' patriotism, but the story had little effect on his career. About that time, he was classified 4-F by the draft board because of hypertension. As part of his draft examination, he was confined for a short period to a hospital on Ellis Island, which confirmed his diagnosis of hypertension.
Throughout World War II, Haymes regularly appeared in benefit shows. Haymes toured US bases entertaining the troops, often with his radio partner, singer Helen Forrest; such was the popularity of The Dick Haymes Radio Show. He was also a regular contributor over many years to such shows as Guest Star, The Navy Show and Here’s To Vets.
In 1953 Haymes went to Hawaii (then still a territory of the United States) to visit actress Rita Hayworth, whom he later married. On returning to the U.S. mainland in August he was arrested for deportation under the McCarran–Walter Act for refusing to enter U.S. military service, and therefore was not entitled to live in the country. He appealed, and in 1955 won his battle to remain on the basis that Hawaii was a geographical part of the United States, and thus he had never left it.
Personal life
Haymes experienced alcoholism and had serious financial problems later in life. By the early 1960s, he declared bankruptcy with $500,000 worth of debt.
Through his mother's Irish nationality, Haymes became an Irish citizen in December 1965. He lived in Dublin until 1966, before moving to England where he resided until May 1971.
Marriages
Haymes was married six times. His first marriage to Edith Harper (1939) occurred when she claimed to be pregnant, but was annulled after it was discovered that she was not. Haymes's other wives were film actresses Joanne Dru (1941–1949), Nora Eddington (1949–1953), Rita Hayworth (1953–1955), Fran Jeffries (1958–1964), and British model Wendy Smith (1966). Haymes had six children—three with Dru, one with Jeffries, and two with Smith.
Death
Haymes died from lung cancer on March 28, 1980, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 61 years old.
Discography
78-rpm albums
Selections from Rogers and Hammerstein's "State Fair" (1946, Decca Records)
Dick Haymes Sings – Carmen Cavallaro at the Piano – Irving Berlin Songs (1948, Decca Records)
Original Albums
Rain or Shine, Capitol Records,1955
Moondreams, Capitol Records,1956
The Name’s Haymes, Hallmark Records,1958
Oh! Look At Me Now, Hollywood Records,1958
Richard the Lion-Hearted, Dick Haymes That Is, Warwick Records,1960
Then & Now, Mercury Records (UK),1969
For You, For Me, Forevermore, Audiophile Records,1976
As Time Goes By, Ballad Records,1978
Keep It Simple, Audiophile Records,1987
LP compilations
Dick Haymes, Love Letters, Vocalion, VL 3616, (1958)
Dick Haymes, Little White Lies, Decca, DL 8773, (1958)
Dick Haymes, The Best Of, MCA Records, MCFM 2720 (1975) UK
Dick Haymes, The Best Of, MCA Records, MCA2-4097, (1975)
Dick Haymes, Imagination, Audiophile Records, AP-79, (1982)
Dick Haymes, Sings Irving Berlin, MCA Records, MCL 1773, (1983) UK
Live LP albums
Dick Haymes Comes Home! (1973)
Selected CD compilations
Ballad CDs (The Dick Haymes Society) Producer: Roger L. Dooner
Dick Haymes On The Air, Live Broadcast Performances (1942-1944) DHS CD 1 (1996)
Dick Haymes On The Air, Live Broadcast Performances (1944-1948) DHS CD 2 (1996)
Dick Haymes On NBC Bandstand (1956-1957) DHS CD 3 (1997)
Dick Haymes On Air, (1950-1962) DHS CD 4
Dick Haymes On The Air, (1945-1947) DHS CD 5
The Dick Haymes Show, (1947-1948) DHS CD 6
Dick Haymes, Christmas Wishes, DHS CD 7
Dick Haymes, Club 15, (1949-1950) DHS CD 8
Young Dick Haymes with Harry James And His Orchestra (1940-1941) DHS-CD-9 (2005)
Memoir Records
Dick Haymes, Harry James, Helen Forrest. How High The Moon. Memoir, CD MOIR510 (1995)
Dick Haymes, It Had To Be You, Memoir, CD MOIR 512 (1995)
Dick Haymes, My Heart Tells Me, Memoir, CD MOIR 521 (1997)
Dick Haymes, Stella By Starlight, Memoir, CD MOIR547 (2000)
Audiophile Records
For You, For Me, Forevermore. Audiophile Records, ACD-130 (1994)
Filmography
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) – Able-Bodied Seaman (uncredited)
Dramatic School (1938) – Student (uncredited)
Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) – Singer (uncredited)
Girl Crazy (1943) – Member, The Pied Pipers (uncredited)
Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) – Lt. Dick Ryan
Irish Eyes Are Smiling (1944) – Ernest R. Ball
I Am an American (Short film, 1944) – Himself (uncredited)
Diamond Horseshoe (1945) – Joe Davis Jr.
State Fair (1945) – Wayne Frake
Fallen Angel (1945) – Himself – JukeBox Vocalist (voice, uncredited)
Do You Love Me (1946) – Jimmy Hale
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947) – John Pritchard
Carnival in Costa Rica (1947) – Jeff Stephens
Up in Central Park (1948) – John Matthews
One Touch of Venus (1948) – Joe Grant
Words and Music (1948) – Himself
St. Benny the Dip (1951) – Benny
Screen Snapshots – Hollywood Fun Festival (1952) – Master of Ceremonies
Musical theatre
Miss Liberty (1951, Dallas Theatre)
The Big Broadcast of 1944, - A Lee Gruber, Shelly Gross off Broadway production, fall of 1979 – Devon, PA, Detroit, MI, and Westbury, NY