Bill Hayes dead: Days of our Lives star dies at 98

Actor Bill Hayes died Friday in Los Angeles at the age of 98.

Hayes was born William Foster Hayes III and was well known for his role as Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives. The role lasted for over 50 years after Hayes was cast in 1970 following some film roles. When the soap opera moved to the streaming service Peacock, Hayes continued to appear as recently as last year.

“I have known Bill for most of my life and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of Our Lives,” executive producer Ken Corday said in a statement. “Although we are grieving and will miss him, Bill’s indelible legacy will live on in our hearts and the stories we tell, both on and off the screen.”

Hayes won the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 after two Emmy nominations early in his career.

Bill Hayes, left, and Susan Seaforth Hayes accept the lifetime achievement award at the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center on Sunday, April 29, 2018, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Previously, Hayes was known as the singer who wrote “The Ballad of Davy Crocket,” which became the No. 1 song on the United States charts in the mid-1950s.

Hayes is survived by his wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, his fellow co-star and on-screen wife, and his five children.