Jaye P. Morgan, a celebrated female recording artist of the 1950s known for dominating the charts, has passed away at the age of 94. Morgan, whose illustrious career began with five hit singles in 1955—including the standout “That’s All I Want From You”—also garnered fame as a frequent guest on talk shows and game shows. Her memorable antics on “The Gong Show,” where she once daringly removed her shirt, further solidified her place in entertainment history.
Morgan died on Monday in Longview, Washington, due to natural causes, her longtime attorney and friend, Mark Sendroff, confirmed. In her later years, she lived with her nephew and niece, Duke Morgan Spencer and Peggy Sue Spencer.
Among Morgan’s most notable chart successes were two Top 10 hits: “That’s All I Want From You” and “The Longest Walk.” She enjoyed additional acclaim with Top 20 hits such as “Danger! Heartbreak Ahead,” “If You Don’t Want My Love,” and “Pepper-Hot Baby.” Collaborations also highlighted her career, with her pairing with Perry Como yielding “Chee Chee-Oo Chee (Sang the Little Bird)” and “Two Lost Souls,” along with a moderate hit, “Mutual Admiration Society,” reaching No. 47 with Eddy Arnold.
In the years that followed, Morgan transitioned to television, becoming a staple guest on “The Tonight Show” and making appearances on shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett, and Mike Douglas, as well as on popular series like “Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” However, it was her stint as a celebrity judge on “The Gong Show,” alongside personalities like Jamie Farr and Rip Taylor since 1976, that made her a household name.
On “The Gong Show,” amateur performers would present their acts, enduring the judges’ scrutiny. Once an act became unbearable, a judge would strike a gong to end it. The winning performer of the episode would be awarded a whimsical cash prize of $516.32.
On one episode, Eugene Patton — the dancing stagehand performing as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine — started his thing when Morgan opened her shirt to expose her breasts, helping bring an end to the show’s run on NBC in 1978.
“It paid good money, and it was great exposure. I really enjoyed it,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1992.
“Jaye P. Morgan’s devil-may-care ad libs on television game shows have probably made her more famous as a personality than as a singer,” The New York Times wrote in 1984. “But the same kooky recklessness that inspires Miss Morgan’s remarks is also a part of her musical sensibility.”
Her film credits include “The All-American Boy” with Jon Voight, “Loose Shoes,” “The Gong Show Movie,” “Night Patrol” and the 2002 Miramax release “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” directed by George Clooney.
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Jaye P. Morgan’s early life
Morgan was born Mary Margaret Morgan in a log cabin in Mancos, Colorado, and her show business career started early. At the age of 3, she was part of the Morgan Family, a traveling vaudeville act that included her mother, her father, her sister and five brothers. The group disbanded after their father’s death in 1945.
Morgan was class treasurer of her California high school and her peers nicknamed her J.P. after the 19th century financier J.P. Morgan. She later feminized it by changing the initial J to Jaye.
But by the time she was 17, she was singing professionally again, and in 1950 she joined Frank De Vol’s orchestra, singing with it for three years.
Her recording career got underway via “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” and “Just a Gigolo” with De Vol on a small label, Derby Records, that reached No. 26 on the Billboard chart. That led RCA Records to come calling with a recording contract.
She was a regular on the Robert Q. Lewis national daytime variety TV show and the nighttime game show “Stop the Music” hosted by Bert Parks. In 1954, DownBeat magazine’s annual DJ poll crowned her best new female singer of the year. She took her nightclub act on the road and made her Las Vegas debut at the New Frontier Hotel & Casino.
Morgan’s onscreen career
Morgan even got her own TV show in 1956 — “The Jaye P. Morgan Show,” which featured four of her brothers. Her solo albums include “Jaye P. Morgan” — produced by Davis Foster — “Jay P. Morgan Lately!” and a joint album with Kaye Ballard called “Long Time Friends.”
An appearance on “The Tonight Show” opened up a career for her on television talk shows and she kept returning to Johnny Carson for five years. “I take my body everyplace I go,” she joked to the host in a 1972 episode. She also was a guest on “The Odd Couple” playing herself and singing their goofy song “Happy, Peppy and Bursting with Love.”
During one memorable episode of “The Muppet Show,” Morgan appeared in a bird costume and seemed unhappy she was there at all. When Kermit tells her it’s a thrill to have her on, she replies: “I’m really indifferent about being here.” Kermit is aghast, calling the opening number cute. “I hate cute,” replies Morgan.
Other Morgan credits include a role in “Home Alone 2,” with Macaulay Culkin, appearances on “Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island,” and co-starring with Eddie Bracken in the national tour of “Sugar Babies.”
Married and divorced three times, Morgan is survived by a son, Paul Kane.