In the golden age of crooners, Dick Haymes’s voice was velvet. Born in Buenos Aires in 1918 to a rancher father and a musically inclined Irish mother, Haymes seemed destined for the stage. By the 1940s, he was one of America’s most beloved vocalists, rivaling Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. His duets with Helen Forrest and Judy Garland lit up wartime radios, and his performances in musicals like State Fair made him a Hollywood darling.
But behind the spotlight, Haymes’s life was a symphony of heartbreak.
He never served in World War II — not out of defiance, but because he was technically an Argentine citizen. This led to public backlash and even a deportation scare. The press painted him as unpatriotic, and the stain lingered.
His personal life was a carousel of marriages and divorces. He wed six times, including to screen legends Rita Hayworth and Joanne Dru. Each union brought glamour, but also turbulence. Haymes battled alcoholism, and as the 1950s ushered in television and rock ’n’ roll, his style fell out of favor. The man who once filled concert halls now struggled to fill a lounge
Financial woes mounted. He declared bankruptcy, and at one point, was arrested for unpaid child support. The crooner who sang of dreams and devotion was drowning in legal battles and loneliness.
Yet, in the twilight of his life, Haymes found a flicker of redemption. He toured Europe, where audiences still revered his voice. Though he never reclaimed his American stardom, he sang until the end — a voice weathered by time, but still rich with emotion.
Dick Haymes died in 1980, aged 61. His legacy, like his life, is bittersweet: a reminder that fame is fleeting, but artistry endures...
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