DANNY THOMAS
Name: Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob
Born: 6 January 1912 Deerfield, Michigan, United States
Died: 6 February 1991 Los Angeles, California, United States
Danny Thomas, born Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob, (January 6, 1912 - February 6,
1991) was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best
known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy.
Danny Thomas was born in Deerfield, Michigan, on January 6, 1912, to Charles and
Margaret Jacobs. He was of Lebanese descent. He first performed under his
Anglicized birth name, Amos Jacobs, before settling on the stage name, Danny
Thomas, which were the first names of two of his brothers. He lived in various
cities as a child, including Toledo, Ohio, and Rochester New York.
On the big screen, he starred in The Jazz Singer, a 1952 remake of the 1927
original and played songwriter Gus Kahn opposite Doris Day in the 1951 film
biography I'll See You in My Dreams. After Make Room for Daddy, Thomas became a
successful television producer, working on many popular shows including The Dick
Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Mod Squad.
Known as a generous philanthropist, Thomas founded the St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. The hospital has treated
thousands of children for childhood cancers. In 1996, two of its researchers won
the Nobel Prize for medicine for their research on the immune system of children.
As a "starving actor", Thomas made a vow - if he found success, he would open a
hospital dedicated to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes.
He was one of the original owners of the Miami Dolphins, along with Joe Robbie,
although he sold his share soon after purchase. Thomas was also an avid golfer.
He claimed ten golf handicap and once competed with Sam Snead in a charity event.
His children are also performers, the most famous being his daughter, Marlo, who
is married to Phil Donahue. His son, Tony Thomas, is a television producer, and
another daughter, Terre Thomas, is a former actress.
Thomas died on February 6, 1991, of a punctured lung at age 79. He had completed
filming a commercial for St. Jude's Hospital a few days before his death and
this final commercial aired as a tribute to him.
Danny Thomas and his wife (who died in 2000) are interred in a crypt in a
mausoleum on the grounds of the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in
Memphis, Tennessee. He was a posthumous recipient of the 2004 Bob Hope
Humanitarian Award.
Name: Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob
Born: 6 January 1912 Deerfield, Michigan, United States
Died: 6 February 1991 Los Angeles, California, United States
Danny Thomas, born Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob, (January 6, 1912 - February 6,
1991) was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best
known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy.
Danny Thomas was born in Deerfield, Michigan, on January 6, 1912, to Charles and
Margaret Jacobs. He was of Lebanese descent. He first performed under his
Anglicized birth name, Amos Jacobs, before settling on the stage name, Danny
Thomas, which were the first names of two of his brothers. He lived in various
cities as a child, including Toledo, Ohio, and Rochester New York.
On the big screen, he starred in The Jazz Singer, a 1952 remake of the 1927
original and played songwriter Gus Kahn opposite Doris Day in the 1951 film
biography I'll See You in My Dreams. After Make Room for Daddy, Thomas became a
successful television producer, working on many popular shows including The Dick
Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Mod Squad.
Known as a generous philanthropist, Thomas founded the St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. The hospital has treated
thousands of children for childhood cancers. In 1996, two of its researchers won
the Nobel Prize for medicine for their research on the immune system of children.
As a "starving actor", Thomas made a vow - if he found success, he would open a
hospital dedicated to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes.
He was one of the original owners of the Miami Dolphins, along with Joe Robbie,
although he sold his share soon after purchase. Thomas was also an avid golfer.
He claimed ten golf handicap and once competed with Sam Snead in a charity event.
His children are also performers, the most famous being his daughter, Marlo, who
is married to Phil Donahue. His son, Tony Thomas, is a television producer, and
another daughter, Terre Thomas, is a former actress.
Thomas died on February 6, 1991, of a punctured lung at age 79. He had completed
filming a commercial for St. Jude's Hospital a few days before his death and
this final commercial aired as a tribute to him.
Danny Thomas and his wife (who died in 2000) are interred in a crypt in a
mausoleum on the grounds of the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in
Memphis, Tennessee. He was a posthumous recipient of the 2004 Bob Hope
Humanitarian Award.