Doris Day’s Friends Remember Her as One of the Greatest Singers of all Time: ‘A Great Star Was Born’

Just a month after her 97th birthday on April 3, Doris Day‘s foundation confirmed the actress died at her Carmel Valley, California, home surrounded by loved ones. “Doris had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia, resulting in her death,” they said.

Aside from Doris’ music, she was known for being a very optimistic and caring person to her family, fans and friends. “You have to try to stay positive despite life’s ups and downs,” the “Que Sera Sera” singer previously shared to Closer Weekly. “I believe everything happens for a reason, and so many good things came out of the bad times.”

Doris’ friend Betty White especially loved hearing her music. To her, Doris could turn any bad date around. “You could be out with somebody you didn’t think was that swell, you’d listen to Doris for a while and suddenly they looked wonderful,” the 97-year-old star once joked. “Anybody who heard Doris sing never forgot her.”

Once Doris got behind a microphone, she could easily make you forget about your troubles. Composer Sammy Cahn remembers being so mesmerized by Doris’ voice that he thought “a great star was born” when he heard her sing for the first time. “There was no question,” he once said about Doris’ talent so he encouraged her to star in movies which later led her to have a very successful acting career.