Actor, Singer & Producer Steve Gideon Passes Away, 5/1

Triple-Threat Producer/ Singer/ Actor, Stephen Craig Hayes aka Steve Gideon of West Hollywood, California passed away on May 1, 2009, after an arduous battle with cancer that he fought with courage, humor and song.

Stephen Hayes grew up in Virginia and North Carolina, where his love for theater began when he was just a boy. He went on to graduate from Harvard University and The Boston Conservatory of Music, before embarking on a career in musical theater. Steve gained national attention as one of the original cast members of the world-wide theatrical sensation Naked Boys Singing. In 1999, Hayes made theater history by securing permission to stage (and star in) the first same-sex production of Stephen Sondheim's Marry Me a Little--which The Hollywood Reporter described as "a thoughtful, touching and charming show that attains all of the complexities of the essential early Sondheim,"

Hayes' other credits include Nite Club Confidential, for which he appeared in productions in New York, Boston, Long Beach and LA (where he appeared alongside Scott Bakula in a record-breaking run) and the musical revue All Night Strut. In the 90's Steve released his first CD "Feels Like Home," with two original compositions, and was working on a new album, The Happening, based on music from his recent cabaret show of the same name. While Steve has appeared in countless cabaret shows, he also donated his talents to appear in shows such as Annie Get Your Chip and Beach Blanket Boozer, benefits for the West Hollywood Recovery Center.

He is survived by his long time companion Bernard Vyzga of West Hollywood, CA, his father Luby Hayes (of Denver, NC), his sister Pam Poole (of Richmond, VA), his brother Ronald Hayes (of Gainesville, FL), as well as his beloved Dachshund LP, and many, many close friends and fans.

Steve requested that donations be made in his memory to the West Hollywood Recovery Center,(www.thewhrc.org).