Early Life
Melcher was born Terrence P. Jorden in New York City to trombonist Al Jorden and his wife, singer-actress Doris Day. Known as Terry, the boy was named by his mother after the hero of her favorite childhood comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.
Before the birth, Day was planning to leave the abusive, violent Jorden. Outraged when he found out about her pregnancy, Jorden had demanded that Day get an abortion. Shortly after giving birth, Day filed for divorce, left the boy with her mother in Ohio, and went back to touring with big band leader Les Brown. After the divorce, Jorden visited his son infrequently and had little presence in his life. After divorcing her second husband, saxophonist George Weidler, Day married Martin Melcher, who would become her manager and produce many of her films. Melcher adopted Terry, giving the child his surname. (After Martin Melcher's death in 1968, Day discovered that he had mismanaged or embezzled $20 million of her money.)
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