- Born
- DiedOctober 19, 1994 · Los Angeles, California, USA (pneumonia following a long history of cardiovascular disease)
- Birth nameMargy Reed
- Nicknames
- The Big Mouth
- The Female Bob Hope
- Height5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
- Known as "The Big Mouth" and considered the female equivalent to Bob Hope, Martha Raye was an American icon in her own right.
She was born Margy Reed in Butte, Montana, to Maybelle Hazel (Hooper) and Peter Reed, Jr., vaudeville performers. She had Irish, German, and English ancestry. Raye made her acting debut before the age of 10 as she toured the nation with her parents variety show "Reed and Hopper". In her late teens she was hired by band-leader Paul Ash as his lead vocalist and was spotted by a Hollywood talent scout during a New York City concert in 1934. She soon relocated to Hollywood were she began making a name for herself appearing in a string of successful screwball comedies alongside the likes of Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, W.C. Fields, and Joe E. Brown.
With the outbreak of World War II she took a break from film making to focus on entertaining servicemen and women traveling with the USO on many tour stops. She soon became even more famous for her dedication to America, its values, and its soldiers which helped earn her the beloved nickname "Colonel Maggie".
She continued acting into the late 1980s dividing her time between movies, TV guest spots, and occasional stage appearances. She passed away on October 19, 1994 after a long battle from pneumonia and was buried with full military honors at the Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Martha "Colonel Maggie" Raye was 78 years old.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpousesMark Harris(September 25, 1991 - October 19, 1994) (her death)Robert O'Shea(November 7, 1956 - December 1, 1960) (divorced)Edward Thomas Begley(April 21, 1954 - October 6, 1956) (divorced)Nick Condos(February 22, 1944 - June 17, 1953) (divorced, 1 child)Neal Lang(May 24, 1941 - February 3, 1944) (divorced)David Rose(October 8, 1938 - May 18, 1941) (divorced)Bud Westmore(May 30, 1937 - September 28, 1938) (divorced)
- ParentsPeter F. ReedMaybelle Hooper
- Martha Raye, the only woman buried in the Special Forces cemetery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Raye joined the USO soon after the US entered WWII. During WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, she traveled extensively to entertain our troops, despite her extreme fear of flying. In 1966 she went to Vietnam to entertain two platoons of airmen, both were called out on a mission. She held the show there till they returned. She often served as a nurse on these trips.
- Had so little formal schooling, her scripts had to be read to her.
- Raye died of pneumonia at Cedars Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) at 1:45 pm on October 19, 1994. By 2 pm, her body was en route to a mortuary. She had suffered from Alzheimer's disease, liver disease, and cataracts. Both of her legs had been amputated a year earlier due to severe circulatory problems.
- Raye was named an honorary member of the Special Forces units that she often assisted and received her Green Beret and the title of Lieutenant Colonel from President Bill Clinton. For her services in entertaining the troops she was allowed burial in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
- Following the demise of her TV variety show, the breakup of her fifth marriage, and a series of other personal problems, she attempted suicide with sleeping pills on August 14, 1956. After her recovery she always wore a St. Christopher's medal, a St. Genesius medal and a Star of David given to her by wellwishers. At the end of her TV programs she also would say "Good night, Sisters," a reference to The Sisters of St. Francis Hospital in Miami where she recovered.
- I didn't have to work till I was three. But after that, I never stopped.
- Few people actually know me or take me seriously. I thought success in show business was the answer to everything. It isn't. I don't know what is.
- "Only cowards give up the search for happiness because they're afraid of getting hurt.
- My career is my whole life. I'll always work.
- I must have been hypnotized by the spotlight. I never realized I was being culturally deprived, that I was having a lousy upbringing. We were too busy making a living to worry about stuff like that.
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