'The Gong Show' Panelist Was 94
Variety • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Jaye P. Morgan, a singer, actress, and game show panelist known for her work in the 1950s through the 1970s, died Monday in Castle Rock, Washington, according to her family.
- Morgan's singing career began in 1953 with hits like “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” and “That’s All I Want from You,” and she also hosted her own TV show, “The Jaye P. Morgan Show,” in 1956.
- In the 1960s, she transitioned to acting with roles on shows such as “General Electric Theater,” “Hennessy,” and “The Eleventh Hour,” and became a regular panelist on “The Gong Show” in the 1970s.
- Morgan was known for her frequent appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, guest-starring about 150 times, and for a controversial moment on “The Gong Show” that led to her being banned from the program.
- Born Mary Margaret Morgan in 1931 in Colorado, she was nicknamed after the banker J.P. Morgan, married pianist Artie Kane, and is survived by her son Paul.
