She’s such a hard-working pro, in fact, that it’s easy to forget that she played more than the cackling witchcraft practitioner… Billie has also been Mammy Yokum in the 1959 movie version of L’il Abner, she played Peter Pan in the pilot episode of “Murder, She Wrote”, and she even played a government agent on “General Hospital”.
Of course, everyone will first and foremost remember her as the either H.R. Pufnstuf’s worst enemy Witchie-Poo or wizard Hoo Doo’s counter Weenie The Geenie on “Lidsville”. Either way, she’s always been a joy to watch sing dance and act .
Billie Hayes is from the small town of Duquoin, Illinois. At the age of nine, she started tap dancing professionally in local clubs. By the time she was in her teens, she had joined a 14 piece orchestra, and was working throughout the midwest. After performing her own act in Chicago, she was cast in a New York revue which toured the U.S and Canada.
Billie's first Broadway appearance was in Leonard Sillman's New Faces. From there, she joined the Broadway company of Li'l Abner as Mammy Yokum, and went on to reprise the role in the Paramount film.
Billie is perhaps best known for her role as Witchiepoo on the beloved TV series H.R. Pufnstuf, but in addition to her numerous television and film appearances, she has also done extensive voice work in films, such as Disney's The Black Cauldron, and numerous TV series.
Watch Billie below in a rare dance scene , Billie shines as a performer even out of her beloved Witchipoo makeup
Of course, everyone will first and foremost remember her as the either H.R. Pufnstuf’s worst enemy Witchie-Poo or wizard Hoo Doo’s counter Weenie The Geenie on “Lidsville”. Either way, she’s always been a joy to watch sing dance and act .
Billie Hayes is from the small town of Duquoin, Illinois. At the age of nine, she started tap dancing professionally in local clubs. By the time she was in her teens, she had joined a 14 piece orchestra, and was working throughout the midwest. After performing her own act in Chicago, she was cast in a New York revue which toured the U.S and Canada.
Billie's first Broadway appearance was in Leonard Sillman's New Faces. From there, she joined the Broadway company of Li'l Abner as Mammy Yokum, and went on to reprise the role in the Paramount film.
Billie is perhaps best known for her role as Witchiepoo on the beloved TV series H.R. Pufnstuf, but in addition to her numerous television and film appearances, she has also done extensive voice work in films, such as Disney's The Black Cauldron, and numerous TV series.
Watch Billie below in a rare dance scene , Billie shines as a performer even out of her beloved Witchipoo makeup