Kaye Ballard
USABiography of Kaye Ballard
Kaye Ballard is an American actress and singer known for her comedic performances, television appearances, and roles in musical productions. Despite the challenges of age, Ballard has been able to demonstrate her high-class acting skills even in her later years.
Early Life
Kaye Ballard, originally named Katherine Gloria Balotta, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She was one of four children of Italian immigrants Lena and Vincenzo Balotta.
Career
In the 1940s, Ballard began her career as a comedian, touring with Spike Jones. Her talent for physical comedy and dialogue quickly became evident, and she established herself both on stage and on television.
On television, Ballard made her debut in Henry Morgan's show 'Henry Morgan's Great Talent Hunt' in 1951. In 1954, she became the first singer to record the song "In Other Words" (also known as "Fly Me to the Moon"). Ballard and Alice Ghostley played the wicked stepsisters in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's television production of "Cinderella" in 1957.
In 1962, Ballard portrayed Lucy van Pelt in the LP recording of "Peanuts," and in 1964, she had a recurring role as a modeling instructor in "The Patty Duke Show." From 1967 to 1969, she played one of the main roles, Kaye Buell, in the comedy series "The Mothers-in-Law." In the early 1970s, Ballard made periodic appearances on "The Doris Day Show" as a restaurant owner.
Ballard also appeared on game shows like "Match Game" and was a guest star on "The Muppet Show" in 1977. She gained attention for her role as a kleptomaniac medium in the TV series "Alice" and her role in "Daddy Dearest" alongside Richard Lewis and Don Rickles.
In addition to her television career, Ballard had success on stage. She performed on Broadway in productions such as "The Golden Apple," "Carnival!," "The Pirates of Penzance," and "Reuben, Reuben." She also portrayed Mama Morton in "Chicago" and Polly in "No No Nanette" in Long Beach, California.
Later Years
In 1998, Ballard played Hattie Walker in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Follies." She also had a role as Molly Goldberg in a musical adaptation of the popular radio series, which unfortunately was unsuccessful.
In 2006, Ballard completed her autobiography titled "How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years."
Personal Life
Ballard never married and currently resides in Rancho Mirage, California. It is known that her home was once owned by her friend Desi Arnaz.
Health Battle
Ballard faced a battle with breast cancer, but fortunately, she emerged victorious.
