She's the sexy seductress you just can't get enough of. She has gone through men and marriages in a never-ending search for love. She's the woman who has it all -- she's Erica Kane!
From vixenish teen to vampy young woman to vulnerable lover to vital mother, Erica is an original. But for all her ego and self-confidence, she's really as insecure as the rest of us. Erica is afraid she might be unlovable. It's a fear she's had since the day her father, movie director Eric Kane, walked out on the family when she was just a little girl. That's what drives her to do the things she does on such a grand scale. Larger than life, Erica is out there every day fighting, plotting and grabbing for love and romance, fame and fortune. You never know what Erica's going to do next! But whatever it is, you can bet there's a man involved. Erica needs a man in her life. She's just built that way: passionate, tempestuous. And the way she drives men wild, they want to either kiss her or kill her. But when life kicks her - which it does with alarming regularity - she kicks back!
In 1970, Erica's mother, Mona Kane, divorced her philandering film-director husband Eric after he ran out on her when their daughter Erica was a little girl. Although she was vain and self-centered, Erica was popular. Especially with the boys! For the most part, she dated Chuck Tyler. But the only person she really wanted was Phil Brent! And she'd do anything to get close to him.
Tara saw what Erica was doing and griped about her to her father Joe and Grandma Kate. Tara's brother Jeff had seen Erica at the hospital cafeteria after she'd been to her mother's office and liked what he saw! But Tara didn't like or trust Erica, and she warned Jeff to wise up to her.
Former Pine Valley resident Nick Davis returned to open a dance studio. Nick renewed his friendship with Mona and met Erica and her friends. He especially liked Phil Brent. Nick's friendship with Phillip upset his Aunt Amy, who quickly alerted her sister Ruth that Nick was back in town. Neither had ever expected to see him again. Nick, who had been Amy's first love, left her alone and pregnant with a child he didn't even know he fathered! After giving birth to Nick's son, Phil, Amy gave the child to her sister Ruth to raise -- with the promise that Phil was never to know that his aunt Amy was really his mother.
In the hospital, Amy revealed to Nick and Linc that she was Phil's real mother. Nick wanted to tell Phil the truth, but Amy convinced him not to breathe a word. However, Phil learned the truth about his adoption from Erica, who had overheard the secret and blabbed it to Phil. Distraught and upset over the revelation, Amy left town and never returned to Pine Valley.
Erica entered PVU, not that she had the slightest interest in studying anything, she already knew everything she needed to know. To get what she wanted, all she had to do was smile. And she kept flashing that dazzling smile at Jeff Martin.
Tara tried repeatedly to warn her brother Jeff about Erica in 1971. But Jeff was mesmerized by Erica's beauty and flattery. The news of their wedding jolted their families. Marriage to Jeff wasn't anything like she thought it would be! Stuck in a dinky, drab apartment while Jeff spent most of his time at the hospital, Erica grew frustrated. While Erica grew more distant, Jeff found he had much more in common with a sweet nurse, Mary Kennicott.
Erica dropped out of college and began a new job at Ann Tyler's Boutique. The job kept her going on buying trips to New York City. This was her destiny.
Tara gave birth to a little boy in 1972, and she and Chuck named him Charles Phillip Tyler. Tara's brother Jeff was ecstatic to have become an uncle! His wife Erica was less than enthusiastic. Being a small town doctor's wife was no longer her goal. Everything Jeff talked about bored her. His job. His friends. His dreams.
Erica's job at Ann's fashion Boutique had given her a taste of a far more glamorous life. And she wanted more. From the moment Erica met Jason Maxwell, she wanted him...to sign her up as a model at his agency. From the moment he met Erica, Jason wanted her...but not necessarily as a model.
Jeff was waking up to the fact that in Erica, he'd married a very self-involved, selfish young woman. But he loved her. His best friend, Dr. Frank Grant explained that his wife Nancy had a career, and that they still had a happy marriage. Jeff made himself believe that he and Erica could live with her career. Not that he was lonely when Erica was out of town. More and more, he turned to Mary Kennicott for friendship.
Erica became pregnant in 1973 and headed for an abortion clinic -- without ever telling her husband Jeff. Throughout his troubled marriage with Erica, Mary Kennicott stood by Jeff, silently supporting him. Jeff learned of Erica's deception and forgave her.
The more Erica saw of Jason Maxwell in New York City, the less interested she was in being married to Jeff. After months of arguing with Erica over both Jason and her career, Jeff had stopped caring. He had grown even closer to Mary while the two of them doctored and nursed a little boy who had been hospitalized after his parents had abandoned him. Ten-year-old Tad Gardner charmed everyone at Pine Valley Hospital, and no one could believe that his father had pushed him out the car and driven off.
Erica asked Jeff for a divorce and became more involved with Jason. Erica's fellow model, Margo Flax, tried to warn her that Jason Maxwell was only toying with her. But Erica knew better and pursued him eagerly. And just to make it even more interesting, she led Jason to believe that her husband Jeff was very jealous of him.
Jason traveled to Pine Valley to set the whole thing straight. From his room at the Valley Inn, he phoned Jeff to come over. Since he'd already agreed to give Erica a divorce, Jeff wondered why in the world Jason Maxwell wanted to see him. He arrived at Jason's door and knocked, no answer. Testing the doorknob, Jeff found the door unlocked. He walked in, there was Jason Maxwell...dead. Jeff was arrested for murder.
In 1974, Jeff's attorney, Paul Martin, began looking into Jason Maxwell's affairs and one name kept popping up, Margo Flax. Margo was at loose ends, her modeling career was long over and her lover Jason was gone. After all the times he'd hurt her by flaunting his affairs in her face, now he was dead, and that hurt too. But Margo would recover. She always did. Margo packed her bags and moved to Pine Valley, renting a room from her dear friend Erica Kane's mother, Mona.
With her husband accused of killing her lover in a jealous rage, Erica, of course, had been devastated by Jason's death. After all, the scandal had killed her modeling career. Her mother, Mona, who stood by Jeff throughout the ordeal, took the witness stand and began having brief flashes of the night of the murder. She'd been there, in Jason's hotel room. To help her remember more completely, Mona received an injection of sodium pentothal -- truth serum -- and realized she killed Jason Maxwell and blocked it out. Jeff was cleared of all charges and wasted no time in divorcing Erica so he could marry his beloved Mary Kennicott. Erica was left with nothing.
Phil did everything in his power to win Tara back. But she remained faithful to Chuck for the sake of their baby. She couldn't tell Phillip the truth. Realizing he was the odd man out, Phil turned to Erica for comfort and passion.
Phil continued to see Erica in 1975, but even she realized that he still didn't love her and began to doubt that he ever would. If anyone was in his heart, it was Tara. By the time Erica had decided that her affair with Phil was over, she'd become pregnant. And again, she decided that the sensible choice for her was an abortion. But Phil found out about the baby and was overjoyed. He convinced Erica to marry him.
Phil and Erica's happiness didn't last for long. Erica suffered a miscarriage and was so distraught over the loss that she had a complete nervous breakdown. Phil had to commit her to a mental hospital. During her absence, Phil saved little Phillip's life with his blood. Ruth confirmed what Phil already felt in his heart -- little Philip was his son!
Phil suddenly had new hope. Tara and Phil confessed their love to each other and they fell into each other's arms and made love! Tara decided to ask Chuck for a divorce. Phil asked Erica for a divorce -- but she refused. When Chuck discovered that Tara had been unfaithful to him with Phil, he demanded a divorce!
Phoebe Tyler objected to her son Linc's 1976 marriage to Kitty Shea and she had an unexpected ally to help break them up -- Erica Kane Martin Brent. Erica still refused to divorce Phil Brent long after Tara had gotten a quick Caribbean divorce from Phoebe's grandson Chuck. But holding on to Phil just to spite Tara wasn't as much fun as she thought. Maybe Erica could land Linc Tyler.
Erica, still refusing to divorce Phil, and Phoebe hatched a bizarre scheme to keep Linc from remarrying Kitty. Discovering that Kitty had never known her long lost mother, a Mrs. Lucy Carpenter who hadn't been in Pine Valley for decades, Phoebe plotted an elaborate and phony reunion. She approached a down-and-out piece of flotsam improbably named Myrtle Lum with a proposition to pose as Kitty's long-lost mother -- and eventually convince her to leave Linc. It was mutual dislike from the start, but Myrtle agreed to Phoebe's plan and Phoebe agreed to Myrtle's price. But the plan backfired when Myrtle truly came to care for Kitty as a daughter! Eventually, Erica did grant Phil his divorce, allowing him to reunite with Tara.
With Phil out of her life, Erica started working for his father Nick, and their lifelong feud continued. The first time they kissed surprised both of them. But Erica liked it, and created more opportunities to seduce Nick. Luring him into her bed, they began an off-again, on-again affair which became their little secret.
In 1977, Erica redirected her amorous attention to an old conquest -- husband #1, Dr. Jeff Martin -- but he wasn't interested. Upon meeting Mark Dalton, a new music teacher at Pine Valley University, Erica forgot all about Jeff. Mark and Erica were instantly drawn to each other, and neither could explain why!
Mark was very interested in Erica and had no idea she'd also been seeing her boss at The Chateau, Nick Davis. Nick was jealous of Mark, which pleased Erica. She liked Mark, but not enough to go to bed with him. Not yet anyway, she told her mother Mona who became frantic to break them up - because she knew the horrible truth that Erica and Mark were half-brother and sister. Mona admitted that the young man was the illegitimate son of Erica's father and his secretary, Maureen Dalton. Initially, Erica refused to accept her half-brother Mark but over time, the half-siblings became very close.
Phoebe Tyler's niece Brooke English took a fancy to former football hero Tom Cudahy. But so did Erica Kane. Erica wheedled her way into the hostess job at The Goalpost, the new restaurant that Tom had just opened. Still, Erica had a "thing" for Nick. She decided that she wanted to marry Nick and she lured him back to her bed. When her mother Mona walked in on them, she almost had a heart attack! Realizing Erica's deceptions, Nick left Erica - once and for all. Erica set her sights on Tom.
In 1978, Brooke took up with Dan Kennicott upon realizing that Tom Cudahy was more interested in Erica. Erica was already going after a third husband, Nick Davis. While working for Tom Cudahy at The Goalpost, Erica plotted to make Nick realize how much he loved her. In New York City, Erica contracted viral pneumonia and was given a 50-50 chance of survival. Mona told Nick that only he could give Erica the will to live. He had to ask her to marry him. Against his better judgement, Nick proposed.
Upon her recovery, Nick reconsidered his proposal to Erica. When he walked out on her that last time, she vowed revenge! But she wanted love...and a man she could count on. Tom Cudahy was that man. She quickly decided to do or say whatever she had to, to make him fall for her. First, she reclaimed her job as hostess at his restaurant, ousting Brooke English with relish.
Mona Kane sat silently as Erica married Tom. After a joyous reception at the Pine Valley Country Club, the bride and groom flew off to a St. Croix honeymoon. And Mona looked at Charles Tyler for love and support. She hoped that her daughter would be happy, but in her heart, she knew that Erica still loved Nick. But Nick Davis was gone. He sold The Chateau and moved to Chicago.
Erica again blabbed a shocking secret when she told Phoebe that Charlie wasn't her great-grandson because he was really Phil Brent's son and not Chuck's!
By 1979, Erica and Tom Cudahy were trying very hard to conceive a baby. Or so Erica let Tom believe. She didn't tell him she was taking birth control pills.
Erica was driving her husband Tom crazy with her endless quest for fame. Erica popped birth control pills and, without telling Tom, opened a disco which she proudly named "Erica's." Tom was flabbergasted that she could actually open a disco behind his back! Tom hired Brooke to take Erica's place at the Goalpost.
Erica's biggest secret blew up in her face when Tom came across her birth control pills and, waving them in her face, blasted her once and for all!
Erica was forced to close her disco when the city rezoned the area in 1980, forbidding Erica to play music after midnight. Alone and despairing, the inimitable Erica didn't languish in defeat for long. She quickly regained her spirit and left town to make it as a movie star in Hollywood! With Erica gone, Tom's friendship with Brooke deepened into love. However, their budding relationship ran into a roadblock when Erica (her movie career a bust) returned to Pine Valley.
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