Doris Day Biography: Age, Net Worth, Height, Movies, Songs, Husbands, Animal Advocacy

Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff also known as Doris Day, also known as America’s Sweetheart, is a beloved American actress, singer, and animal rights activist who became one of the most popular and wholesome stars of Hollywood’s golden age.

Through her sunny personality, crystal-clear voice, and wholesome romantic comedies like Pillow Talk and The Man Who Knew Too Much, she captured the hearts of millions while selling over 75 million records and becoming a symbol of optimism and grace in mid-20th-century America.

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff
• Stage Name: Doris Day
• Born: April 3, 1922
• Age: 97 years old
• Died: May 13, 2019
• Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
• Nationality: American
• Ethnicity: Caucasian (German descent)
• Occupation: Actress, Singer, Animal Rights Activist
• Height: 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm)
• Religion: Christianity
• Parents: Frederick Wilhelm Kappelhoff and Alma Sophia Kappelhoff (née Welz)
• Siblings: Paul Kappelhoff and Richard Kappelhoff
• Spouse: Barry Comden (married 1976–1982); Al Jorden (1941–1943) and George Weidler (1946–1949)
• Children: Terry Melcher
• Relationship: Widowed
• Net Worth: $20 million USD

Early Life and Education

Doris Day was born on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She was raised by her parents, Frederick Wilhelm Kappelhoff, a music teacher and choir master of German descent, and Alma Sophia Kappelhoff (née Welz), a homemaker, in a strict Roman Catholic household.

She grew up with two siblings, Paul Kappelhoff and Richard Kappelhoff. A talented dancer from childhood, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina until a 1937 car accident shattered her leg and ended her dancing ambitions. While recovering, she began singing along with the radio and discovered her natural vocal gift. She left school early to focus on music and took singing lessons in Cincinnati. Her ethnicity is Caucasian (German descent), and her religion is Christianity.

Career

Doris Day began her professional singing career in the late 1930s with bandleader Barney Rapp and later joined Les Brown and His Band of Renown, scoring her first major hit with Sentimental Journey in 1945. She made her film debut in Romance on the High Seas (1948) and quickly became a box-office sensation in light musicals and comedies.

Her peak came in the late 1950s and early 1960s with a string of successful romantic comedies opposite Rock Hudson (Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers) and James Garner (The Thrill of It All, Move Over, Darling).

She also delivered dramatic performances in Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), singing the Oscar-winning Que Sera, Sera. With over 650 recordings and 39 films, she earned the nickname “America’s Sweetheart.”

After retiring from films in 1968, she hosted The Doris Day Show on television (1968–1973) and devoted her later years to animal welfare, founding the Doris Day Animal Foundation.

Awards and Nominations

• Presidential Medal of Freedom (2004)
• Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)
• Golden Globe for World Favorite Female (1958, 1960)
• Multiple Laurel Awards for Top Female Comedy Performance
• Hollywood Walk of Fame Star (two stars: motion pictures and recording)

Social Media

• Doris Day does not have a social media account.

Personal Life

Doris Day passed away at 97 years old from pneumonia and her height was 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm). She was married four times. Her first marriage to trombonist Al Jorden (1941–1943) produced her only child, son Terry Melcher (a successful record producer who later worked with the Beach Boys).

She was briefly married to saxophonist George Weidler (1946–1949), then to agent Marty Melcher (1951–1968), who managed her career until his death. In 1976, she married restaurateur Barry Comden; they divorced in 1982.

After several personal losses and financial setbacks caused by her third husband’s mismanagement, Doris found peace in her Christian faith and dedicated her final decades to animal rescue and advocacy in Carmel Valley, California.

Net Worth

Doris Day‘s net worth is estimated at $20 million USD at the time of her death. Her income primarily came from record sales and royalties (over 75 million records sold), film salaries and residuals, television work, and smart investments in real estate, though much of her fortune was affected by earlier financial difficulties.

Discography

• Sentimental Journey (1945 hit single)
• Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) (1956 Oscar-winning song)
• Pillow Talk (1959)
• The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
• Lover Come Back (1961)
• The Thrill of It All (1963)
• Move Over, Darling (1963)
• The Doris Day Show (1968–1973 television series)
• Over 650 recorded songs and more than 30 studio albums