Armenians

THEIR GROUNDBREAKING CONTRIBUTIONS REFLECT A LEGACY OF INNOVATION THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS

Kay Armen

Icon of stage and screen with a lasting legacy

Entertainer

Bio


Kay Armen (born Armenuhi Manoogian in 1915, Chicago) was a celebrated singer, actor, composer, and radio and television host. She was known as “Charmin’ Kay Armen.”


Armen’s song compositions include “Be Good to Yourself,” “My Love and I,” and “It’s a Sin to Cry Over You.” She also sang the hit “Come on-a My House,” which was written for her by William Saroyan and his cousin, Ross Bagdasarian.


Armen’s radio programs were featured on ABC, CBS, and NBC. They included Stop the Music, which eventually transitioned to television.


Armen’s other television credits include a starring role in the sitcom Love and Marriage. She was featured on Ray Bolger’s Washington Square as his singing star, and regularly appeared on talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.


Armen made her film debut in the popular musical Hit the Deck, appearing alongside Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell.


Armen was the recipient of the National Medal of Honor for the Arts, presented to her by President Bill Clinton in 2000, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, presented to her in 2005.


Armen died in 2011.

Kay Armen