Born Owen Patrick McNulty, Dennis Day earned recognition as America's favorite Irish tenor through his smooth vocal style and work as a comic actor. For many years he served as Jack Benny's sidekick, sharing the screen with him in the 1940 film Buck Benny Rides Again and joining Benny's television program during the early 1950s. Additional film roles included Music in Manhattan in 1944, Golden Girl in 1951, and Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood in 1976. His voice also appeared in the animated features Johnny Appleseed and Melody Time, both released in 1948, as well as Frosty's Winter Wonderland in 1976.
Particularly noted for delivering Irish numbers such as "Clancy Lowered the Boom," he became one of the first artists to record folk bluesman Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter's "Goodnight, Irene." Romantic material like "Mam'selle," "Dear Hearts and Gentle People," and "Mona Lisa" fit him as naturally as the novelty number "Mister and Mrs. Mississippi."
A graduate of St. Patrick's Cathedral High School in New York, he briefly attended Manhattan College. Though he once planned a legal career, the stage soon claimed his attention. In the late 1930s he starred on the CBS radio program Varieties, which brought him to Benny's attention and resulted in his casting as a naïve teenager on the comedian's broadcast.
While serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Day performed with a band directed by Claude Thornhill. After his discharge in 1946 he quickly secured his own radio hosting position, remaining there until 1952, when he moved to host the RCA Victor Show. The following year he launched his own series, The Dennis Day Show, but its cancellation after twelve months ended his radio career.
He continued appearing at conventions and fairs throughout the 1960s. A strong resurgence during the 1970s produced numerous film and television opportunities, including the title role in the 1978 TV special The Stingiest Man in Town.
