The Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed her death. She died at her home in Carmel Valley, CA, surrounded by close friends. The Foundation said Day \u201chad been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia.\u201d<\/p>\n Doris became a star in 1956, when she appeared alongside Jimmy Stewart<\/strong> in Alfred Hitchcock<\/strong>\u2018s \u201cThe Man Who Knew Too Much.\u201d She then hit even bigger the next year, starring in \u201cThe Pajama Game.\u201d<\/p>\n [youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MPyHAsdnX7Q?&rel=0&w=728&h=410]<\/p>\n Day became tied at the hip onscreen, beginning in 1959, with Rock Hudson<\/strong> \u2026 the 2 starred in \u201cPillow Talk,\u201d for which she received an Academy Award nom for Best Actress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n You can\u2019t understate the star power of the quintessential girl next door \u2026 she was voted Top Box Office Female Star for 4 straight years in the early \u201960s.\u00a0<\/p>\n [youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc?&rel=0&w=728&h=410]<\/p>\n As big as her movie career was \u2026 she was equally famous for her singing. She went to the top of the charts with her 1956 song, \u201cQue Sera Sera.\u201d In 2008, Doris was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.<\/p>\n Day briefly dated Ronald Reagan<\/strong><\/a> back in the \u201950s. She was married 4 times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her influence was enduring. She was referenced in The Beatles<\/strong>\u2018 song \u201cDig It,\u201d Billy Joel<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s \u201cWe Didn\u2019t Start the Fire\u201d and Wham!\u2019s \u201cWake Me Up Before You Go Go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Doris got the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in 2004 from President George Bush<\/strong>, but her fear of flying prevented her from attending the White House ceremony.<\/p>\n Day\u2019s son, Terry Melcher<\/strong>, became a famous and successful music producer, working with The Beach Boys<\/strong> for many years. He notoriously put a song written by Charles Manson<\/strong><\/a> on a Beach Boys\u2019 single, but when Melcher distanced himself from Manson the future murderer targeted him. In fact, it\u2019s widely believed the Tate murders were really directed at Melcher and his then-girlfriend, Candice Bergen<\/strong><\/a>, who had been renting the Tate home until just weeks before the murder.<\/p>\n She loved animals \u2026 at one time she had 30 dogs living on her property.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n Doris was one of the founders of Actors and Others for Animals in 1971 and in the late \u201970s she started The Doris Day Foundation. She has 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame \u2014 one for movies, and one for her music.<\/p>\n She was 97.<\/p>\n RIP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Candice](\"https:\/\/etrafficlane.com\/newline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hollywood-Actress-Doris-Day-Dead-at-97.jpg\" "\\"Candice")
<\/a>Doris Day<\/strong>, one of the biggest movie stars in the \u201950s and \u201960s who became a fierce proponent of animal rights, is dead.<\/p>\n