Lynda Hirsch on Soaps

Kaye Stevens, daytime's first soap opera songbird, has died. From 1974 to 1979, she played chanteuse Jeri on "Days of our Lives." The redheaded actress died in Florida of complications from breast cancer.

The ebullient Stevens admitted she had a drinking problem. This is one of the reasons she decided to exit "Days." In 1982, she found sobriety. That sobriety led to her forming a Christian ministry and focusing on Christian-based songs.

Sadly, Stevens is not the only loss this year in the soap world. Here are some others who died in 2011.

Doris Belack (1926-2011) played Anna Wolek Craig (1968-1977), her most famous daytime character. Anna was the show's mother hen. Belack's primetime credits included years playing a recurring judge on the "Law and Order" franchise.

Lynn Deerfield (1950-2011) played Holly Norris on "Guiding Light" from 1970 to 1976. At that point, Holly was a wild child who would do anything to get Ed Bauer to marry her, even though she was sleeping with Roger. Deerfield was once married to famed New York newscaster Bill Beutel.

Mary Fickett (1928-2011) played Ruth Martin on "All My Children" for nearly 30 years. Ironically, she died the week AMC was canceled. Fickett left the role to take care of her ailing husband, director Allen Fristoe. Lee Meriwether, a former Miss American, took over the part.

Dan Frazer (1921-2011) played the role of Lt. Dan McCloskey on "As the World Turns" for 12 years. He played Nancy's husband after her first husband, Chris, died. Frazer's character was the first one in daytime to deal with Alzheimer's. He also played Captain O'Neil on the '70s hit series "Kojak."

Farley Granger (1925-2011) played Lisa's husband Earl Mitchell on "As the World Turns." In his autobiography, "Count Me Out," he talks about his life as a bisexual.

His longtime partner was former ATWT Executive Producer Robert Calhoun, who passed away in 2008. Granger also created the role of Dr. Will Vernon on "One Life to Live." The role was recast with Anthony George. His most notable film roles were in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Rope" and "Strangers on a Train."

Anthony Herrera (1944-2011) played the cunning James Stenbeck on "ATWT." He also played a college professor on "Young and Restless." The reason Stenbeck kept returning from the dead was so that the actor could keep his union health insurance. Suffering from a rare leukemia, the actor had several stem-cell transplants and needed insurance.

James Pritchett (1922-2011) played Dr. Matt Powers on "The Doctors" for the entire run of the show. As Bruce Elliott on ATWT, he had an affair with Lisa Hughes while she was still married to Bob in 1962.

Judy Lewis' (1935-2011) longest running soap opera role was Susan Ames on "The Secret Storm" from 1964 to 1971. She also played Barbara Vining on "General Hospital" in the 1970s. Barbara was the adoptive mother of Laura Spencer and the biological mother of Amy Vining. For years, Lewis thought Loretta Young was her adoptive mother. She eventually learned she was Young's birth child and her love child with Clark Gable. Spending years playing the virginal character in movies, Young felt it would hurt her career to have a child out of wedlock.

Haila Stoddard (1913-2011) appeared as the wicked Aunt Pauline on CBS's "The Secret Storm" from 1953 to 1971. She was my very first soap opera villainess. She was so mean and so stylish, and had this wonderful raspy, overly dramatic voice.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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