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Billy Jones

William Reese Jones (March 15, 1889 – November 23, 1940) was a tenor who recorded during the 1920s and 1930s, finding fame as a radio star on The Happiness Boys radio program.

Jones worked in such occupations as mining, banking, and blacksmithing before his 1918 recording debut. He recorded with the Cleartone Four, the Crescent Trio, the Harmonizers Quartet and the Premier Quartet, and he performed under a variety of names (Harry Blake, Billy Clarke, Lester George, Duncan Jones, Reese Jones, John Kelley, Dennis O'Malley, William Rees, Victor Roberts, Billy West, William West, and Carlton Williams).

After he met Ernie Hare in 1919, they teamed in 1920 when Brunswick executive Gus Haenschen had them sing an accompaniment on a Brunswick Records recording. They went on to do numerous recordings together for Brunswick, Edison, and other companies.

They began on radio October 18, 1921 on WJZ (Newark, New Jersey). Sponsored by the chain of Happiness Candy stores, they were heard on The Happiness Boys program beginning August 22, 1923 on New York's WEAF, moving to NBC from a run from 1926 to 1929. As "The Happiness Boys", they sang popular tunes, mostly light fare and comic songs, and they joked with one another between numbers.

By 1928, they were the highest paid singers in radio, earning $1,250 a week. The partnership ended with Hare's death on March 9, 1939. Jones continued to perform, teaming with Hare's 16-year-old daughter, Marilyn Hare, in 1939-40. He died November 23, 1940, in Manhattan, of a heart attack, and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

Among Jones' hits was "The grass is always greener in the other fellow's yard" which became the theme song of the "Big Brother Bob Emery " a children's program, first on radio, then on TV in both New York and Boston in the 1940s and 1950s.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 15, 1889 (New York City), Died November 23, 1940 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1951

Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal, speaker, author, saxophone, tenor saxophone, songwriter, vocalist, lyricist

Notes: Also recorded under the name Victor Roberts.

See Also: Roberts, Victor

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 376-400 of 720 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh 73613 10-in. 9/14/1925 Hurray! Hurray! My wife's so good to me The Bow-Wows ; The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73614 10-in. 9/14/1925 Speech! The Bow-Wows ; The Happiness Boys ; Joe Samuels Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73626 10-in. 9/17/1925 Some other bird whistled a tune Billy Jones ; The Red Hotters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73627 10-in. 9/17/1925 Ya! Ya! Alma! Billy Jones ; The Red Hotters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73768 10-in. Nov. 1925 I would rather be alone in the South The Bow-Wows ; The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73769 10-in. Nov. 1925 Hokey pokey (Diddle-dee-rum) The Happiness Boys Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73802 10-in. 12/1/1925 Five foot two, eyes of blue Billy Jones ; Melody Sheiks Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73803 10-in. 12/1/1925 Tomorrow mornin' Billy Jones ; Melody Sheiks Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73861 10-in. Dec. 1925 That certain party The Goofus Five ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance ensemble, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73966 10-in. Jan. 1926 How she loves me is nobody's business The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73967 10-in. Jan. 1926 What! No women? The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 73968 10-in. Jan. 1926 Down by the winegar woiks Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74028 10-in. 2/27/1926 So does your Mandarin Billy Jones ; Melody Sheiks Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74029 10-in. 2/27/1926 Let's talk about my sweetie Billy Jones ; Melody Sheiks Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74030 10-in. 2/27/1926 Oh! You Lulu Belle Billy Jones ; Melody Sheiks Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74033 10-in. Jan. 1926 Don't call 'em in the morning Billy Jones Male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74034 10-in. Feb. 1926 Gimme a little kiss, will ya, huh? Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74035 10-in. Feb. 1926 Am I wasting my time on you? Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74120 10-in. Apr. 1926 Lonesome melody o' mine Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74208 10-in. July 1926 Lo-do-de-o The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74209 10-in. July 1926 Oh, boy! How it was raining The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74254 10-in. 8/11/1926 How many times? The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 74255 10-in. 8/11/1926 Where'd you get those eyes? The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 80056 10-in. 6/3/1926 The pump song The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 80057 10-in. 6/3/1926 Hi ho, the merrio (As long as she loves me) The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 376-400 of 720 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Billy," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

Jones, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

"Jones, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631

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