Martha Raye was a funny and energetic singer and actress who was born in Butte, Montana, on August 27, 1916. Her real name was Margy Reed, and her parents were vaudeville performers, so she grew up on stage and began performing with her family when she was just 3 years old.

In the 1930s, Martha started singing with big bands and then moved into movies. Her first movie work was a short film in 1934, and in 1936 she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and starred in her first big film, "Rhythm on the Range," with famous singer Bing Crosby. Over the years she appeared in many movies, on radio, and on Broadway, and later became a TV star with her own show, "The Martha Raye Show," in the 1950s.

Martha was known for her wide smile and big mouth, which helped her stand out in comedy and earned her the nickname "The Big Mouth." In the 1970s and 1980s she became familiar to a new generation of viewers through her funny commercials for Polident denture cleaner, ending with the line, "Take it from a big mouth!".

She was also very **brave** and caring toward American soldiers. During World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, Martha traveled to dangerous places around the world to entertain troops and even helped nurses in field hospitals. Because of her service, she became an honorary member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and was affectionately called "Colonel Maggie."

Martha Raye received several special honors, including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards in 1969 and other lifetime achievement awards. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame-one for movies and one for television-showing how important she was to American entertainment. Martha Raye died in Los Angeles on October 19, 1994, at age 78, and because of her many years entertaining soldiers, she was buried with full military honors at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.