Janis Paige Biography

Fast Facts

• Took a third place Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance for "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" in 1960
• Performed in USO tours for troops stationed in Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, and was a frequent guest on Bob Hope's NBC specials in the 1950s
• After being asked to fill in for a singer at the Hollywood Canteen, she was approached by an assistant to Louis B․ Mayer and signed an MGM contract the following day
• Made her screen acting debut in the film "Bathing Beauty" in 1944
• Began her career at the age of 5, singing in amateur contests in her hometown of Tacoma, Washington
• Was a member of the Songwriters Guild of America for 25 years, inheriting her seat from her husband, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" writer Ray Gilbert, after his death in 1976
• Was the associate producer and voice of Nina in the TV movie "We Think the World Is Round" in 1984
• Has also appeared in a number of stage productions, including "Remains to be Seen," "Pajama Game," "Here's Love," and "Mame․"
• Best known for her role as Peggy Dayton in "Silk Stockings" and as Deborah Vaughn in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies․"
• Was a cabaret headliner at major nightclubs and supper clubs with performers like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr․, and Liberace