The starlet, who was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1966, passed away at the Hilo Medical Centre in Hawaii on Tuesday
CHILD actor and singer Donna Butterworth, who starred alongside Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis, has died after battling a long illness.
The starlet, who was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1966, passed away at the Hilo Medical Centre in Hawaii on Tuesday, the Hawaii Tribune reports.
Butterworth made her screen debut in 1965 opposite Jerry Lewis in The Family Jewels playing the character Donna Peyton.
A year later, at the age of 10, she played Jan Kohana alongside Elvis's character Rick Richards in the musical comedy Paradise, Hawaiian Style.
She sang three songs in the movie - including a duet with the "King of Rock and Roll".
In a 2015 interview, Butterworth described the legend as a "fabulous professional" who was "comfortable with everyone".
She told Joe Krein of Australia's Official Elvis Presley Fan Club: "He always tried to have a lot of fun on the set.
"So, the four months that we all were together in Hawaii and of course at Paramount studios in Hollywood, he was just a great guy to be around."
Butterworth appeared as a guest on shows including The Hollywood Palace with Bing Crosby, The Andy Williams Show, The Dean Martin Show and The Danny Kay Show.
She also featured in the Little Leathernecks in 1966 and released two singles, Sailor Boy and California Sunshine Boy, on a national record label.
The performer went on to share the small screen with then-fellow child star Ron Howard during a two-part appearance in Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color in 1967.
It was soon after this that she decided to quit acting completely.
In the early 2000s she released a CD in Hawaii, where she had moved to from Philadelphia, at the age of three in February, 1956.
Butterworth, who is survived by her mother and brother, was battling a long undisclosed illness, it's reported.
A celebration of her life is expected to be held at a later date.
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