Jack Jones
BORN: John Allen Jones on Jan 14, 1938 in Los Angeles, CA
A two-time Grammy winner in the early '60s, Jack Jones has made a fine living
since, blending vocal standards from traditional pop with swinging renditions
of contemporary pop and rock hits. Born in Los Angeles in 1938, Jones was
the son of the romantic lead actor and recording artist Allan Jones (who
had a hit with "The Donkey Serenade") and actress Irene Hervey. He began
studying the vocal arts in high school, and after graduation joined his father's
successful act on the nightclub circuit. Jack left less than a year later,
determined to make it on his own, and began playing small clubs around the
country.
Several years after forging his independence, Jack Jones was spotted in San
Francisco and signed to Kapp Records in 1961. Though he was called into the
army soon after, he managed to record the single "Lollipops and Roses," a
moderate 1962 hit which earned him a Grammy for Best Performance by a Male
Singer. Jones earned several other awards during the mid-'60s, including
another Grammy for his best-known hit, the Burt Bacharach-Hal David chestnut
"Wives and Lovers." Though he only recorded one more single that performed
as well, 1965's "The Race Is On," Jones became a successful LP seller, touring
artist (especially in Great Britain), and occasional television performer.
He moved to RCA Records in 1967, and began to add to his repertoire rock
songs such as "Light My Fire" and "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today." Jack Jones
also mounted a successful act in Las Vegas during the 1980s and '90s. — John
Bush