Jaye P. Morgan, a pop and TV star who had an infamous stint on The Gong Show dead at 94

Jaye P.Morgan, one of the top female recording artists of the 1950s with five hits in 1955 alone, including “That’s All I Want From You,” and who later became a frequent talk show guest and game show panelist, infamously taking off her shirt on “The Gong Show,” has died.

She was 94.Morgan died Monday of natural causes in Longview, Washington, said Mark Sendroff, longtime attorney and friend.She had been living with her nephew and niece, Duke Morgan Spencer and Peggy Sue Spencer.Morgan’s Top 10 hits were “That’s All I Want From You” and “The Longest Walk.” Her Top 20 hits were “Danger! Heartbreak Ahead,” “If You Don’t Want My Love” and “Pepper-Hot Baby.” She also had two Top 20 hits with Perry Como, “Chee Chee-Oo Chee (Sang the Little Bird)” and “Two Lost Souls,” and a hit with Eddy Arnold called “Mutual Admiration Society” that reached No.

47 on the Billboard singles chart.Later she would become a regular guest on “The Tonight Show” and make appearances with Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas as well as spots on “Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” But it was her years hamming it up as a celebrity judge — along with Jamie Farr and Rip Taylor — on the chaotic “The Gong Show” starting in 1976 that cemented her fame.On the show, amateur performers tried out their acts, and when one of the judges couldn’t stand it anymore, they smashed a gong, ending the proceedings.Whichever performer won the day’s show received a check for the random amount of $516.32.On one episode, Eugene Patton — the dancing stagehand performing as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine — started his thing when Morgan opened her shirt to expose her breasts, helping bring an end to the show’s run on NBC in 1978.“It paid good money, and it was great exposure.

I really enjoyed it,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1992.“Jaye P.Morgan’s devil-may-care ad libs on television game shows have probably made her more famou...