Martha Raye

She popularized the catch phrases, "Oh, Boy!" and "Yeah, Man!" in the 1930s.

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".

Became an overnight star in 1936, after she was spotted by producer/director Norman Taurog performing comedy skits at the Trocadero nightclub, with Jimmy Durante and Joe E. Lewis as straight men. She was in front of the cameras the following day, doing a comic drunk routine in Bing Crosby's 'Rhythm on The Range'.

Daughter by Condos, Melodye Raye Condos (Melodye Condos), born 26th July 1944.

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.

Martha Raye,the only woman buried in the Special Forces cemetery at Fort Bragg, NC. Martha 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.

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was given to Raye in 1969 for her work with charities and entertaining U.S. troops; her estate gave it to the Friars Club in 1997 where she was its first female honorary member.

Spokesperson for Polident denture cleanser in the 1970s and 1980s.

Raye's career was highlighted in "The Slapstick Queens" by James Robert Parish, published by A. S. Barnes in 1973.

She continued acting into the late 1980s dividing her time between movies, TV guest spots, and occasional stage appearances.

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1988.

Before she died, Raye sued singer/actress Bette Midler and the producers of the movie For the Boys (1991) citing that the film was based on her own extensive experience as a much-loved entertainer of US troops during three wars. She lost in court when the judge, after hearing evidence on both sides, ruled that she didn't have a case.

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 1993 by President Bill Clinton.

Profiled in book "Funny Ladies" by Stephen Silverman. [1999]

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 505-506. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.