Longtime 'Days of Our Lives' Star Bill Hayes Dies

Hayes, who played Doug Williams for over 50 years, leaves a lasting legacy in daytime television.

Bill Hayes, known for his role as Doug Williams on 'Days of Our Lives', has passed away at the age of 98.
Having originated the role in 1970, Hayes was one of the longest-running characters on the show.
Before his soap opera career, Hayes was a singer and topped the Billboard charts in 1955 with 'The Ballad of Davy Crockett'.
Hayes and his wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, were known as the first couple of daytime television, marrying in real life in 1974 after meeting on set.
In 2018, Hayes and his wife received Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Daytime Emmys.