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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 551-575 of 720 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E24894-E24896 10-in. 10/24/1927 Christmas morning at Clancy’s Billy Jones ; Steve Porter Comic dialogue speaker  
Brunswick E15933-E15936; E15939 10-in. 6/5/1925 Collegiate Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 1289W-1291W 10-in. 9/2/1925 Valeska The Ambassadors ; Louis Katzman Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 1428W-1430W 10-in. 10/6/1925 The king isn't king any more Night Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick 1431W-1433W 10-in. 10/6/1925 Bam, Bam, Bamy shore Night Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 5135 10-in. 11/9/1916 Songs of other days no. 5 Metropolitan Mixed Chorus Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 5136 10-in. 11/9/1916 Songs of other days no. 6 Metropolitan Mixed Chorus Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7260 10-in. 4/2/1920 Jazz Babies' Ball Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7344 10-in. 5/11/1920 There's a typical Tipperary over here Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7350 10-in. 5/14/1920 Polly Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7401 10-in. 6/15/1920 Sunny Southern smiles Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7460 10-in. 7/27/1920 Sally Green (The village vamp) Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with female vocal solo and orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7492 10-in. 8/10/1920 All she'd say was "Umh-hum" Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7498 10-in. 8/12/1920 The blacksmith rag Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7623 10-in. 11/9/1920 Lindy Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7860 10-in. 3/22/1921 Ain't we got fun Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7869 10-in. 3/24/1921 Vamping Rose Billy Jones Male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7876 10-in. 3/31/1921 Love's little journey Billy Jones Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7898 10-in. 4/7/1921 Peggy O'Neill Billy Jones Male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7979 10-in. 5/12/1921 Honolulu honey Billy Jones Male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 7994 10-in. 5/17/1921 Oh! They're such nice people Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 8003 10-in. 5/19/1921 I know where the flies go Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 8084 10-in. 6/21/1921 The nightmare blues Premier Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 8099 10-in. 6/28/1921 Down at the old swimming hole Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 8143 10-in. 7/25/1921 Dreaming of home and Mother Thomas Chalmers Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 551-575 of 720 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Billy," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

Jones, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

"Jones, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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