Jack Jones is a living legend of pop and jazz music, who has been delighting the world with his smooth voice and classic songs for more than six decades. He has won two Grammy Awards, recorded over 50 albums, and sung theme songs for popular TV shows like The Love Boat and Funny Face. He has also shared the stage with icons such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Peggy Lee.
But singing is not his only talent. He has also appeared in a few movies, such as The Comeback (1978), Condominium (1980), and Cruise of the Gods (2002), playing minor roles. If you want to know more about this amazing artist, here are some fascinating facts you need to know about him.
10 Intriguing Facts About Jack Jones
1. He Hails From Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Jack Jones was born on January 14, 1938, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, to a family of celebrities. His father was Allen Jones, a singer and actor who starred in many musical films, and his mother was Irene Hevrey, an actress who appeared in more than 60 movies and TV shows.
He is currently 85 years old.
2. Jack Jones Was Allen And Irene’s Only Child, But He Also Had Other Half-Siblings From Their Other Relationships
Jack Jones was the only child of his parents, Allan Jones and Irene Hervey. However, he also had half-siblings from their other relationships. His mother had a daughter named Gail Irene Christensen, born on May 18, 1930, in Santa Monica, California, to her first husband, William Fenderson. His father adopted Gail after he married his mother in 1936. His father also had a son named Ted Jones, but the identity of his mother is unknown.
3. He Privately Studied Drama And Singing
Jack Jones went to University High School in West Los Angeles. This school produced many famous alumni, such as Jeff Bridges, James Brolin, Kim Fowley, and Desi Arnaz Jr. While in school, he also took private lessons in drama and singing from teachers that his father, Allan Jones, had chosen for him.
Jack Jones was not only talented in drama and singing but also in sports. He excelled in track and football but decided to focus on his artistic pursuits.
4. His Parents Divorced When He Was About 19
His parents got married in 1936, two years before he was born. However, their marriage lasted for 21 years, and they divorced in 1957, when Jack was 19 years old.
The exact reason for their divorce is unknown, but some sources claimed that it was due to “mental cruelty”. This was a common ground for divorce in the 1950s, which could mean anything from infidelity to incompatibility. Allen and Irene never publicly commented on their divorce, and they both remarried later.
5. Jack Did A Couple Of Odd Jobs To Support Himself After His Parent’s Divorce
Jones’ life took a dramatic turn after his parents divorced. He went from being a privileged kid to a struggling one. He had to start from scratch and make his own way.
He got his first taste of show business when he joined his father’s act at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. But it was a short-lived gig, and he had to find other ways to support himself and his singing career.
He worked as a gas station attendant, pumping gas and changing tires. He also sang at nightclubs and bars, hoping to get noticed by someone in the music industry. He was determined to follow his dream, no matter what.
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6. He Released His Debut Album This Love of Mine In 1959
As mentioned Jack was born in Hollywood, but he didn’t need a silver screen to shine. He had a voice that could melt hearts and a charm that could win them over.
He recorded some demos for Don Raye, a songwriter who saw his potential and gave him a chance. This landed him a deal with Capital Records in 1959, when he was only 21, and released his debut album This Love of Mine. But he wasn’t happy with the label, so he walked away. Little did he know that one of his songs, This Could Be The Start Of Something Big, would catch the ear of a club owner in San Francisco, who invited him to perform for three weeks.
It was there that his destiny changed. Pete King, a producer and artist for Kapp Records, happened to be in the audience one night. He was blown away by what he heard and saw. He signed him on the spot.
In 1961, at the age of 23, he recorded Lollipops and Roses, a song that would become one of his biggest hits and a turning point for his career.
7. The Hollywood-Born Is A Two-Time Grammy Award Winner
Jones was 24 years old when he got his first taste of glory in the world of music. He won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Vocal Performance for his 1961 hit Lollipops and Roses, a song that sweetened his success. Two years later, he won another Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance for his 1963 single Wives And Lovers, a song that warned men to keep their women happy.
But he didn’t stop there. He earned several more Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year for Wives And Lovers, Best Vocal Performance for The Impossible Dream, and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance for Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, a song that honored his idol.
8. He Made His Film Debut In Juke Box Rhythm
Jones was not just a singer, he was a star. He made his big screen debut in 1959, playing Riff Manton, a young crooner with a dream, in Juke Box Rhythm. He also starred in The Comeback (1978), Condominium (1980), and Cruise of the Gods (2002), showing his versatility as an actor.
But he was not content with just movies. He graced many variety shows in the 60s and 70s, such as The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Andy Williams Show, This Is Tom Jones, and The Dean Martin Show. He sang the theme songs of Funny Face and The Love Boat, making them unforgettable classics.
And he was not done yet. He took on musical theater, appearing in Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, and many others. He proved that he could do it all, and do it well.
9. Jack Jones Has Been Married 6 Times And Divorced 5 Times
The American singer and actor has gone through five divorces and six marriages. At the age of 21, he married model Lee Larance, who would become his first wife, in 1959, they divorced in 1960.
Actress Jill St. John was his second wife, whom he married in 1967 at the age of 29. In 1969, after only two years of marriage, they got divorced.
He married his wife, Gretchen Roberts, a former airline stewardess in 1970 at the age of 32. They divorced after a year of marriage in 1971.
When he was 39 years old, he married Kathy Simmons, who would become his fourth wife. Following a marriage of five years, they got divorced in 1982.
In 1982 at the age of 44, he married Kim Ely, his fifth wife Having been married for 23 years, they got divorced in 2005.
Eleonora Peters Laub is his sixth and current wife, whom he married in 2009 at the age of 71. As of right now, they are still together.
10. He Had Two Children From All His Marriages
He had only two daughters from his six marriages. His first daughter was Crystal Thomas Jones, who was born in 1960 to his first wife, Lee. His second daughter was Nicole Jones, who was born in 1991 to his fifth wife, Kim.
His Jack Jones’ Selected Discography
- This Love of Mine (1959)
- Shall We Dance (1961)
- Lollipops and Roses (1961)
- Gift of Love (1962)
- I’ve Got a Lot of Livin’ to Do! (1962)
- Call Me Irresponsible (1963)
- Bewitched (1963)
- Wives and Lovers (1963)
- In Love (1964)
- The Jack Jones Christmas Album (1964)
- Where Love Has Gone (1964)
- She Loves Me (1964)
- Dear Heart (1965)
- My Kind of Town (1965)
- There’s Love & There’s Love & There’s Love (1965)
- Songs of Love (1965)
- Jack Jones (1965)
- For the In Crowd (1965)
- Jack Jones Sings (1966)
- The Impossible Dream (1966)
- We’ll Be Together Again (1966)
- Our Song (1967)
- Lady (1967)
- Canciones Romanticas (1967)
- Without Her (1967)
- Where Is Love? (1968)
- If You Ever Leave Me (1968)
- What the World Needs Now Is Love! (1968)
- Curtain Time (1968)
- The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968)
