Billie Hayes, R.I.P.

One of the many, many, many reasons I loved working for Sid & Marty Krofft was Billie Hayes. Billie was a veteran stage and screen performer best known for playing Witchiepoo on H.R. Pufnstuf and Mammy Yokum in the musical of Li'l Abner.

She was the first choice for the role of Mammy when the show first opened on Broadway but she was under the contract to another show at the time. So Charlotte Rae got the role of Dogpatch's reigning matriarch and when Charlotte left the show, Billie was available to step into the role. She was so good in it, she did the movie, too.

And she did other shows and other roles for the Kroffts. She returned as Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo for The Bay City Rollers Show that I wrote about here and here recently and I even posted a couple of photos of Billie in character with the Rollers. In everything she did, she was a ball of energy — the kind of performer who livened up every scene, the kind you couldn't take your eyes off of. I loved working with her. I loved just sitting with her, hearing stories of her long, colorful career.

She was also a fervent activist for animal rights (Donations in her name will be welcomed). She died last Thursday at the age of 96 but the last time I saw her, which was just a few years ago, she still had enough energy to light the entire studio and all the TV sets watching her.

You can read about that long, colorful career in this obit but there's one error I've asked them to correct: Lennie Weinrib was the voice of H.R. Pufnstuf but he was never ever the person inside the costume.