Bill Hayes (born William Foster Hayes III in Harvey, Illinois in 1925) is an Emmy-award winning American actor and former singer. He gained lasting fame as an actor on the daytime drama series Days of Our Lives as the character Doug Williams, a role he has been playing since 1970. Hayes started his career as a singer, having appeared on the variety show Your Show of Shows, and the Rodgers and Hammerstein play Me and Juliet.
During the popularity of the TV series Davy Crockett three songs were inspired by the show, and titled “Ballad of Davy Crockett.” Hayes’ version was the most popular and successful, having reached the top of the Hot 100 chart in the 50s music era. Another oldies music item, “Wringle Wrangle” was his other only Hot 100 single, scraping the Top 40 chart.
Early Years
William Foster Hayes, popularly known as Bill Hayes, was born June 5, 1925 in Harvey Illinois. In 1947, Hayes graduated with a double major in music and English at DePauw University.
His musical journey began during his time in the United States Army Air Forces, where he served as a bomber navigator during World War II. After the war, Hayes pursued a degree in Music Education from DePauw University and later earned a master’s degree from Northwestern University. He married Mary Hobbs in the same year but filed a divorce in 1969.
Hayes’ passion for music and performance led him to the world of television and recording. His big break came in the early 1950s when he became a regular performer on the popular television show “Your Show of Shows,” which starred the legendary Sid Caesar. This exposure helped Hayes establish himself as a talented singer and actor.
Hayes Singing and Recording Career
Hayes became a household name when he was appointed to be a regular featured singer on Your Show of Shows, a 1950’s television series of comedian Sid Caesar. He also had appearances in numerous Broadway musicals and plays which included a starring role in Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Me and Juliet in 1953.
In 1955 during peak of the Davy Crockett craze, along with other two versions (renditions by Fess Parker and Tennessee Ernie Ford) of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” Hayes recorded his own version of the song. Among the three versions, Hayes’ version was the most popular, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for five weeks. The song was also a big hit in the U.K., reaching #2 on the UK chart. He had lesser-known songs which included “The Tea Berry” as well as covers of “High Noon” and “Wringle Wrangler” which was the only other song which entered the Top 40, peaking at #33 in 1957.
Hayes’ Acting Career
Picture of Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes from the “Day of Days” Event in 2010
In 1970, Hayes’ acting career started when he played the role of a convict-turned-lounge singer Doug Williams on the long-running television soap opera, Days of Our Lives. In 1974, Hayes married his co-star Susan Seaforth. The reel-and-real-life couple became so popular that they were even featured on Time magazine’s front page.
Hayes maintained his role of Doug Williams until 2004 when his character was killed off – this was done by the show as a way to reduce its budget. However, in a plot twist, Williams was found to be alive and living on a tropical island. In early 2010, he appeared on his 2000th episode of Days of Our Lives , a proof of his (and his character’s) longevity in the show.
Bill Hayes: Author and Memoirist
View this post on Instagram
In 2005, Bill Hayes and his wife Susan Seaforth Hayes co-wrote a memoir titled Like Sands Through the Hourglass. The title, taken from the opening line of Days of Our Lives, reflected their deep connection to the show and its legacy.
The book offered a personal and behind-the-scenes look at their lives as actors and as a real-life couple. It covered their careers, their decades-long relationship, and the challenges of balancing fame and marriage in the world of daytime television.
Fans of the soap appreciated the honest tone of the memoir. Hayes shared stories about working in early television, his singing career in the 1950s, and how his life changed after becoming a soap opera star in his 40s. The memoir gave readers a rare look into the lives of two of the most enduring figures in daytime drama.
Bill Hayes in Pop Culture
Bill Hayes became a cultural figure not just because of his long-running soap role, but also due to his earlier fame as a singer. His version of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” remained one of the most iconic songs of the 1950s and was often used in retrospectives and documentaries about that era.
On Days of Our Lives, his character Doug Williams was known as one of the first romantic male leads to sing on a soap opera. His musical performances on the show helped blur the lines between Hayes the actor and Hayes the singer, making him a unique presence in television.
In 1976, Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes appeared on the cover of Time magazine. It marked the first time daytime TV actors were featured on the cover—proof of their major cultural impact during the height of their popularity.
Through appearances on talk shows, fan conventions, and even parody sketches, Hayes stayed visible to multiple generations of fans. His name continued to pop up in discussions of television history, especially regarding long-standing soap operas and cross-medium entertainers.
Influence and Legacy
Bill Hayes holds a unique place in American entertainment. He successfully crossed over from 1950s pop singer to Broadway performer to beloved television actor. Few artists have had such a long and varied career.
On Days of Our Lives, he became one of the longest-running actors in the history of daytime television. His character, Doug Williams, was not only a fixture of the show but also one of the genre’s most enduring romantic leads.
Hayes also helped open the door for other performers with musical backgrounds to transition into acting. His ability to perform songs on a soap opera was groundbreaking at the time, adding a new layer to what daytime characters could do on screen.
Beyond his career, fans admire him for his dedication, longevity, and humility. Whether through his chart-topping hit, his many years on screen, or his candid reflections in print, Bill Hayes left an imprint that few entertainers can match.