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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 426-450 of 720 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick B1-B3 10-in. 7/17/1924 Mexicali rose Castlewood Marimba Orchestra Marimba band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 4487 10-in. approximately Nov. 1920 Rose of my heart William Reese Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 5068 10-in. approximately Feb. 1921 Rebecca (Come back from Mecca) Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 5466 10-in. approximately Apr. 1921 Oh, they're such nice people Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 5470 10-in. approximately Apr. 1921 Peggy O'Neil Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 6067 10-in. approximately July 1921 Tuck me to sleep (In my old 'Tucky home) Billy Jones ; Strand Male Trio Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 6162 10-in. approximately Aug. 1921 It must be someone like you Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 6470 10-in. approximately Sept. 1921 Dapper Dan Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 6747 10-in. approximately Nov. 1921 Mandy ‘n’ me Billy Jones Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 6965 10-in. approximately Dec. 1921 Ka-lu-a William Reese Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 7057 10-in. approximately Jan. 1922 Eddie Leonard blues Carl Fenton’s Orchestra ; Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 7455 10-in. approximately Feb. 1922 Alabamy mammy Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 7540 10-in. approximately Feb. 1923 California William Reese Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 8157 10-in. approximately May 1922 I certainly must be in love Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 8295 10-in. approximately June 1922 Sunshine Alley Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 9361 10-in. approximately Dec. 1922 Who did you fool, after all? Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 9682 10-in. approximately Jan. 1923 Little Rover (Don't forget to come back home) Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick [10445a] Not documented 4/21/1923 Private record for Chicago Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick [14444a] 12/11/1924 Oh Joseph Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14766 10-in. 1/31/1925 "Comic opera test" Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick [15235a] 10-in. Mar. 1925 Wreck on the Southern Old 97 Carl Fenton’s Orchestra ; Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick [15235b] 10-in. Mar. 1925 The old grey mare Carl Fenton’s Orchestra ; Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 4688-4690 10-in. approximately Nov. 1920 All she'd say was "Umh-hum" Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 4691-4693 10-in. approximately Nov. 1920 Broadway Rose Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 4728-4729 10-in. approximately Dec. 1920 O-hi-o (O-my! O!) Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 426-450 of 720 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Billy," accessed April 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

Jones, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

"Jones, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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