Danny Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Danny Thomas, born Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob, (January 6, 1912 - February 6, 1991) was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Danny Thomas was born in Deerfield, Michigan, on January 6, 1912, to Charles and Margaret Jacobs. He was of Lebanese descent. He first performed under his Anglicized birth name, Amos Jacobs, before settling on the stage name, Danny Thomas, which were the first names of two of his brothers. He lived in various cities as a child, including Toledo, Ohio, and Rochester New York.
[edit] Career
On the big screen, he starred in The Jazz Singer, a 1952 remake of the 1927 original and played songwriter Gus Kahn opposite Doris Day in the 1951 film biography I'll See You in My Dreams. After Make Room for Daddy, Thomas became a successful television producer, working on many popular shows including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Mod Squad.
Known as a generous philanthropist, Thomas founded the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. The hospital has treated thousands of children for childhood cancers. In 1996, two of its researchers won the Nobel Prize for medicine for their research on the immune system of children. As a "starving actor", Thomas made a vow - if he found success, he would open a hospital dedicated to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes.
He was one of the original owners of the Miami Dolphins, along with Joe Robbie, although he sold his share soon after purchase.
His children are also performers, the most famous being his daughter, Marlo, who is married to Phil Donahue. His son, Tony Thomas, is a television producer, and another daughter, Terre Thomas, is a former actress.
[edit] Death
Thomas died on February 6, 1991, of a heart attack at age 79. He had completed filming a commercial for St. Jude's Hospital a few days before his death and this final commercial aired as a tribute to him.
Danny Thomas and his wife (who died in 2000) are interred in a crypt in a mausoleum on the grounds of the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a posthumous recipient of the 2004 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
[edit] References
- Social Security Death Index
[edit] External links
- Find-A-Grave
- "Danny Thomas Story" at St. Jude
- Lebanese lobby site
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospitalfr:Danny Thomas
sh:Danny Thomas
Categories: American film actors | American television actors | American television producers | Hollywood Walk of Fame | American philanthropists | Congressional Gold Medal recipients | Lebanese Americans | People from Deerfield, Michigan | People from Rochester, New York | People from Toledo, Ohio | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Deaths by myocardial infarction | 1912 births | 1991 deaths | Arab Americans | Maronites
