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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 501-525 of 720 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick 14192-14195 10-in. 11/12/1924 Oh! How I love my darling Carl Fenton’s Orchestra ; Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14199-14202 10-in. 11/14/1924 On my ukulele The Happiness Boys ; The Radio Boys Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14203-14205 10-in. 11/14/1924 How do you do The Happiness Boys ; The Radio Boys Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14477-14480 10-in. 12/15/1924 When you and I were dancing Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14749-14751 10-in. 1/29/1925 Let me call you sweetheart Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14752-14754 10-in. 1/29/1925 Sweetest little rose in Tennessee Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14785-14787 10-in. 1/31/1925 I don’t want to get married Carl Fenton’s Orchestra ; Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 14788-14790 10-in. 1/31/1925 Please be good to my old girl Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 15196-15198 10-in. 3/16/1925 Don’t bring Lulu Benny Krueger’s Orchestra ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 15250-15252 10-in. 3/21/1925 Oh! Katharina! Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 15332-15334 10-in. 3/30/1925 Oh Vera! Benny Krueger’s Orchestra ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 15376-15378 10-in. 3/31/1925 What do you say, boys Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 15594-15595 10-in. 4/18/1925 If you knew Susie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones ; Phil Ohman ; Harry Reser Male vocal duet, with piano and banjo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 15596-15597 10-in. 4/18/1925 Who takes care of the caretaker's daughter Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones ; Phil Ohman ; Harry Reser Male vocal duet, with piano and banjo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1599 10-in. 4/18/1925 Who takes care of the caretaker's daughter (While the caretaker's busy taking care) Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones ; Phil Ohman ; Harry Reser Male vocal duet, with piano and banjo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E15596 10-in. 4/18/1925 If you knew Susie (Like I know Susie) Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones ; Phil Ohman ; Harry Reser Male vocal duet, with piano and banjo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1706-E1708 10-in. 11/13/1925 That certain party The Ambassadors Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1828-E1830 10-in. 11/27/1925 How she loves me is nobody's business Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1831-E1833 10-in. 11/27/1925 Flamin' Mamie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1867-E1869 10-in. 11/30/1925 Just around the corner The Ambassadors Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1870-E1872 10-in. 11/30/1925 A little bit bad Essex Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1946-E1948 10-in. 12/16/1925 How she loves me is nobody's business Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E1949-E1951 10-in. 12/16/1925 Flamin' Mamie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E2037-E2039 10-in. 1/6/1926 How she loves me is nobody's business Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E2040-E2042 10-in. 1/6/1926 Flamin’ Mamie Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 501-525 of 720 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Billy," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

Jones, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

"Jones, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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