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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 601-625 of 738 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 8929 10-in. 4/17/1923 Old King Tut (In Old King Tutenkhamen's day) Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 8963 10-in. 5/8/1923 Ophelia Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 8980 10-in. 5/15/1923 Maggie! (Yes, ma'am) Come right up stairs Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9018 10-in. 6/8/1923 Yes! We have no bananas Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9038 10-in. 6/20/1923 From de ol' home town (The meeting of Lincoln and Glascoe) Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9050 10-in. 6/27/1923 Oh! Gee, oh! Gosh, oh! Golly I'm in love Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9072 10-in. 7/12/1923 Cut yourself a piece of cake (And make yourself at home) Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9095 10-in. 7/26/1923 The gold-digger (Dig a little deeper) Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9114 10-in. 8/2/1923 That old gang of mine Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9136 10-in. 9/5/1923 That's a lot of bunk Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9169 10-in. 9/20/1923 "Deeze," "doze" and "dem" Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9183 10-in. 9/28/1923 Born and bred and Brooklyn Billy Jones Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9213 10-in. 10/19/1923 Yes, we have no bananas Billy Jones Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9247 10-in. 11/13/1923 When it's night-time in Italy it's Wednesday over here Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9293 10-in. 12/18/1923 You're in Kentucky sure as you're born Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9332 10-in. 1/15/1924 The little wooden whistle wouldn't whistle Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9333 10-in. 1/16/1924 Oh! Boy, what joy we had in barefoot days Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9334 10-in. 1/16/1924 Wrap me up and send me C.O.D. to Tennessee Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9415 10-in. 3/11/1924 Me no speak-a good English Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9423 10-in. 3/18/1924 What does the pussy cat mean when she says "me-ow"? Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9450 10-in. 4/4/1924 Down where the South begins Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9490 10-in. 5/1/1924 I popped the question to her pop Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9555 10-in. 6/8/1924 Tune in on l-o-v-e Billy Jones Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9557 10-in. 6/11/1924 Hard boiled Rose Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Edison 9558 10-in. 6/11/1924 He looks at her and then he goes ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 601-625 of 738 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Billy," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

Jones, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631

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