96-year-old Doris Day, beloved actress, singer, and animal activist decided to stay out of the limelight a long time ago. She definitely has the right to do so. Despite her kindhearted soul, the actress has endured some cruelty from life.
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Doris Day was one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century as well as a successful actress with a twenty-year career in the motion picture industry.
She starred along with big stars like James Stewart, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, and David Niven.
After making her final film in 1968, she starred in the CBS sitcom The Doris Day Show that aired from 1968 to 1973. Day was often in the top ten singers between 1951 and 1966.
As for her career in films, she was the biggest female film star in the early 1960s. In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded Day with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her outstanding achievements.
Doris was four times divorced with her third husband, Martin Melcher, passing away in 1968 and leaving his wife shocked to find that he'd squandered away her fortune.
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But the most tragic event for the actress was the loss of her son, Terry Melcher, whom she loved dearly. The singer, songwriter, and record producer Terry Melcher died after losing a battle with cancer at the age of 62.
The musician was born in New York, he was the son of Doris Day and her first husband, trombone player Al Jorden. Their marriage fell apart soon after Terry was born. He took the name of Day's third husband, the agent and producer Martin Melcher.
Doris encouraged her son to sing, which led him to a career as a musician and later – songwriter. He wrote several singles for the Beach Boys during 1980s - 1990s, including their hit "Kokomo", which was on the top of the U.S. record charts.
On November 19, 2004, Terry Melcher has passed away at his home after a long illness. Doris once commented on her painful loss:
My son was the love of my life. We talked every day, and I miss him very much.
But The Pillow Talk star doesn’t let the grief consumer her, saying that the past can’t be changed.
I think you have to get through the bad times to appreciate the good things in life.
We couldn’t agree more!
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