Martha Raye, affectionately known as "The Big Mouth" and often referred to as the female equivalent of the legendary Bob Hope, was an iconic American entertainer in her own right. Born Margy Reed in Butte, Montana, to Maybelle Hazel (Hooper) and Peter Reed, Jr., vaudeville performers of Irish, German, and English ancestry, Raye's early life was filled with the thrill of performance.
As a child, she made her acting debut before the age of 10, touring the nation with her parents' variety show, "Reed and Hopper". In her late teens, she was hired by band-leader Paul Ash as his lead vocalist and was soon spotted by a Hollywood talent scout during a New York City concert in 1934. This marked the beginning of her transition to Hollywood, where she quickly established herself as a talented comedic actress, starring alongside notable stars such as Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, W.C. Fields, and Joe E. Brown in a string of successful screwball comedies.
However, with the outbreak of World War II, Raye took a temporary hiatus from her film career to focus on entertaining servicemen and women, traveling with the USO to numerous tour stops. Her dedication to America, its values, and its soldiers earned her the endearing nickname "Colonel Maggie".
Throughout the decades, Raye continued to act, dividing her time between movies, TV guest spots, and occasional stage appearances. Her remarkable career spanned over six decades, with her final performances taking place in the late 1980s.
Tragically, Martha "Colonel Maggie" Raye passed away on October 19, 1994, after a long battle with pneumonia. She was laid to rest with full military honors at the Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the age of 78, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and entertain to this day.
