Kay Armen

Armenuhi Manoogian (Armenian: Արմենուհի Մանուկեան); November 2, 1915 – October 3, 2011), better known by her stage name Kay Armen, was an American-Armenian singer popular during the 1940s and 1950s.^{[citation needed]} Her career in show business spanned almost six decades; she worked on stage and in radio, television, and film. She wrote multiple songs, performed in nightclubs and recorded many records.^[1]

Kay Armen
Armen (center) in "Hit the Deck" musical (1955)
Background information
Born	Armenuhi Manoogian (1915-11-02)November 2, 1915 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Origin	American Armenian
Died	October 3, 2011(2011-10-03) (aged 95) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	singer

Radio

Armen was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Robert Manoogian, Sr., was a professional wrestler billed as Bob Monograph.^[2] She first appeared on radio at WSM in Nashville, Tennessee,^[3] performing on 12 programs per week.^[4] In 1947, she had her own weekly 15-minute program, titled Kay Armen-Songs, on NBC-Blue.^[5]

Television and Film

She appeared in a number of roles, notably in the 1959 NBC sitcom Love and Marriage and on screen in the 1955 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical Hit the Deck and the 1961 film Hey, Let's Twist!. She was also a songwriter with compositions, including "Be Good to Yourself", "My Love and I" and "It’s a Sin to Cry Over You".^[1]

Personal life

Robert Manoogian, Jr. (January 4, 1918 – April 3, 2002), her younger brother, was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his work with National Wrestling Alliance in the 1940s as Bobby Managoff.^[1]

Kay Armen died in 2011 in New York City at the age of 95.

Filmography

• 1955: Hit the Deck as Mrs. Ottavio Ferrari
• 1959-1960: Love and Marriage as Sophie (TV series, 18 episodes)
• 1961: Hey, Let's Twist! as Angie
• 1980: Jimmy B. & André as Mama Butsicaris (TV movie)
• 1981: Paternity as Claudia Feinstein