Bill Daugherty was born and raised in St Louis, Missouri and was brought up in a family of musicians. His father, Rich Daugherty, is one of the premiere jazz pianists in the city and his mother, JoAnn, made a name for herself early in her career as a vocalist in nightclubs, on the radio and in USO shows. His father is the featured pianist on Bill's most recent CD project, "Look To The Rainbow." Bill's uncle, Bob Daugherty, is an established bassist in the world of jazz and lent his talents to the album, as well. As a child, Bill and his sisters Kathy and Patty were constantly working on part harmony and were billed as "The Three Sharps." When he was 13, Bill started a group called "The Vaudeville Players" which he cast, directed and appeared in. They would entertain around the area putting on shows at fairs and nursing homes. After graduating from Parkway West Senior High, Bill studied musical theatre at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri for two years and then transferred to the Conservatory at Webster University in St Louis where he earned a BFA in acting. During college, Bill made his money by doing commercial and jingle work whenever possible and delivering singing telegrams on nights and weekends. He was a featured performer at Six Flags Over Mid America and was a member of the Young Americans, doing a stint on the Robert E. Lee on the St Louis riverfront. From there, he traveled to Florida and Georgia as a singing waiter with Musicana Enterprises after which he hopped up to Philadelphia to get his first taste of the great Northeast. During his stay in Philly, he starred in "Side By Side By Sondheim" at Plays and Players Theatre and did a summer season at the newly resurrected Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA.
At the end of his contract he joined his pal, Rebecca Luker, and took off for The Big Apple. The two of them had paid their dues slinging fried chicken and singing for their supper in Pine Mountain, Georgia. They took an apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn and while Rebecca pursued a career in theatre, Bill embarked on a successful career as a cabaret artist, all the while keeping active in local and regional theatre.
His first Off-Broadway credit was as a member of the company of players known as Light Opera of Manhattan in residence the Cherry Lane Theatre. Bill then went on to work for the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey first as a replacement for Sean McDermott in "Candide", followed by "Naughty Marietta" (featuring the legendary Allan Jones), "Annie Get Your Gun" (with Judy Kaye) and "Damn Yankees" (starring Davis Gaines and Orson Bean). Some of his favorite roles he's performed include Hero in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", Leo Hubbard in "The Little Foxes", Magaldi in "Evita" and Nicely Nicely Johnson in the first European tour of "Guys And Dolls." Other regional show credits include, "My Fair Lady", "The King and I", "The Pajama Game", "The Fantasticks", "Death of A Salesman"and "Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
Shortly after arriving in New York, Bill made his nightclub debut at a Sunday Brunch Cabaret at Vivian Blaine's Park Ten Restaurant on 34th and Park. His show was entitled, "Sunday In The Park Ten With Bill" and it was with that show that he was presented to his first New York audience by the beloved Ted Hook. Bill's accompanist for that show was a man by the name of Robin Field, whom he had met while singing at the open mike at the popular Five Oaks Restaurant in the Village. Erv Raible liked what he saw and booked Bill at "Don&Mac226;t Tell Mama's" with his second show, "Fantasies." Again Bill recruited the services of Robin Field and it was during that show that the two developed a chemistry that seemed contagious. Audiences began referring to them as "Daugherty & Field." Although the two had never sought to team up with a partner, it seemed like the most logical and certainly the most enjoyable next step. Greg Dawson booked "Daugherty & Field" to fill in for Blossom Dearie in The Ballroom with their new show "Teamwork." With the help of publicist David Rothenberg, the two garnered their first in a string of rave reviews from The New York Times and all the other major publications. They were on their way.
The Duo went on to become one of the most celebrated musical comedy acts in the business, entertaining audiences across the country and abroad. Daugherty & Field played most of the major clubs and concert halls in New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Town Hall, The Oak Room at The Algonquin, Club 53 at the NY Hilton, The Russian Tea Room, Eighty Eight's and were featured for seven years running at Kaufman Hall in the 92nd St Y's Lyrics & Lyricists series, under the loving auspices of the late Maurice Levine. They were guest artist on local and national radio and television shows, were headliners for society galas and benefits raising money for major charities, including Equity Fights Aids and The New York League for The Hard of Hearing. Their travels took them to LA's Gardenia Room, Chicago's Halsted and Briar Street Theatres, London's Pizza On The Park and Die Kleine Komedie Opera House in Amsterdam. Whether they were doing one nighters in Miami, entertaining patients at The Bailey House or making a yearly appearance at The Friends Of Old Time Radio convention, the two made an impression which lasted.
Daugherty & Field built a new show for every new major engagement, but perhaps their proudest moment was their eight month Off-Broadway run titled fittingly enough "Daugherty & Field Off-Broadway." They were nominated for an OBIE and during their partnership, won Backstage's first year Bistro Award and 4 consecutive MAC awards.
Eventually, the team parted company when Field chose to pursue other interests on the west coast. During the next few months, Daugherty built a new show and, with the encouragement of long time friend Erv Raible, presented "Start All Over Again" at Eighty Eight's which won Bill another Bistro Award, this time for Outstanding Vocalist of 1995. Shortly thereafter, Bill was featured at the Kennedy Center in "This Funny World", a critically acclaimed salute to Rodgers & Hart.
Soon after, Bill began directing and teaching and eventually producing as well. As a director, he has worked with New York artists including Carol Woods, Connie Pachl and Frank Zagotis. He is currently a member of the faculty at Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21) in conjunction with NYU where he teaches first and second year under grads in Vocal Performance, Vocal Technique and Private Voice. He keeps a stable of private students as well as offering his services as a music consultant for cabaret, theatre and film. He is also a pioneer member of a New York venture called "Camp Broadway", conceived by Susan Lee, which is an outreach program for the theatrical community aimed at young performers both locally and nationally. The summer of 2000 was Camp Broadway's first national tour which was met with great success.
Throughout his career, Bill has been fortunate enough to work with some of the most revered names in the business and he has had a chance to meet and even befriend some of the legends of his childhood. Among them are Margaret Whiting, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Liza Minelli, Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Jose Ferrer, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Helen Hayes, Farley Granger, Matt Dillon, Stockard Channing, B D Wong, Dom DeLuise, Joan Rivers, Lou Jacobi, Harold Nicholas, Arthur Tracy, Hildegarde, Bea Wain, Vet Boswell, Fran Warren, Peter Howard, David Carroll, Ervin Drake, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne, Burton Lane, Kander & Ebb, Clark Gesner, Wright & Forrest, Paula Lawrence, Julie Wilson, Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Portia Nelson, Sylvia Syms, Mimi Hines, Anne Francine, Rita Gardner, Earl Wrightson & Lois Hunt, Jack Donahue, Nancy Lamott, Mary Cleare Harran, Anne Hampton Callaway, Jeff Harnar and K T Sullivan.
Among his many passions, Bill is an avid collector of antique phonographs, clocks, autographed photos and Hollywood memorabilia. He has a collection of over 20,000 records and CD's with the primary emphasis on big bands and vocalists from the 20's-60's.
With many irons in the fire and projects on both the front and back burner, Bill Daugherty continues to lead a life full of passion and promise. Who would have guessed that a former shoe salesman from the Midwest would wind living the charmed life of a man who loves what he does and does what he loves in the city that never sleeps?
"You came a long way from St Louis!"