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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 676-700 of 720 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 11367 10-in. 12/22/1926 Say it to the Ediphone Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano, violin, and male vocal ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11544 10-in. 3/1/1927 I wonder how I look when I'm asleep Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11562 10-in. 3/9/1927 I've never seen a straight banana The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11563 10-in. 3/9/1927 That's my hap-hap-happiness The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11665 10-in. 4/26/1927 You never get nowhere holding hands The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11738 10-in. 6/15/1927 Oh! Ya! Ya! The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11739 10-in. 6/15/1927 Just a little old school house (Up on top of the hill) The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11908 10-in. 9/22/1927 Barbara Happiness Orchestra ; Billy Jones ; Dave Kaplan Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11949 10-in. 10/13/1927 Who's that pretty baby? The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 11950 10-in. 10/13/1927 Pastafazoola The Happiness Boys Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18013 10-in. 11/5/1927 My New York Happiness Orchestra ; Billy Jones ; Dave Kaplan Jazz/ dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18014 10-in. 11/5/1927 Up in the clouds Happiness Orchestra ; Billy Jones ; Dave Kaplan Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18049 10-in. 11/22/1927 Get 'em in a rumble seat The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18050 10-in. 11/22/1927 Go home and tell your mother (That I love you) The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18099 10-in. 12/12/1927 Lady of Havana Happiness Orchestra ; Billy Jones ; Dave Kaplan Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18174 10-in. 1/18/1928 Poor Lizzie The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet and dialogue, with piano speaker, vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18175 10-in. 1/18/1928 Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet and dialogue, with piano speaker, vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18254 10-in. 2/23/1928 Shepherd of the hills Happiness Orchestra ; Billy Jones ; Dave Kaplan Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18256 10-in. 2/23/1928 It's in the bag The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18257 10-in. 2/23/1928 Stay out of the South (If you want to miss a heaven on earth) The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18406 10-in. 4/16/1928 Frankie and Johnnie Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with violin, guitar, and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18568 10-in. 6/6/1928 Shout hallelujah! Cause I'm home The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18569 10-in. 6/6/1928 Must you wear a moustache? The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18633 10-in. 7/24/1928 Mr. Hoover and Mr. Smith The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 18634 10-in. 7/24/1928 I love to dunk a hunk of sponge cake The Happiness Boys ; Dave Kaplan Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 676-700 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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