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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 526-550 of 738 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E2461-E2463 10-in. 2/17/1926 Hooray for the Irish! Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E2464-E2466 10-in. 2/17/1926 I’m gonna let the bumble bee be Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E2692-E2694 10-in. 3/25/1926 I’m gonna let the bumble bee be Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E2695-E2697 10-in. 3/25/1926 Hooray for the Irish! Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E3253-E3255 10-in. 6/17/1926 I’m just wild about animal crackers The Bostonians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E3256-E3258 10-in. 6/17/1926 The pump song The Bostonians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E3405-E3407 10-in. 7/14/1926 Who could be more wonderful than you The Bostonians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E3468-E3470 10-in. 7/20/1926 Out in the new mown hay The Bostonians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E3471-E3473 10-in. 7/20/1926 How could Red Riding Hood (Have been so very good and still keep the wolf from the door)? The Bostonians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E15565-E15567 10-in. 4/16/1925 Spanish eyes Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E15568-E15570 10-in. 4/16/1925 Just a bundle of sunshine Carl Fenton’s Orchestra ; Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16075-E16078 10-in. June 1925 Serenade Brunswick Male Chorus Male vocal chorus, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16079-E16082 10-in. June 1925 Homeland Brunswick Male Chorus Male vocal chorus, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16458-E16460 10-in. 9/30/1925 The king isn't king any more Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16461-E16463 10-in. 9/30/1925 The farmer took another load away! Hay! Hay! Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16719-E16721 10-in. 10/19/1925 Happy-go-lucky days Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones ; Phil Ohman ; Harry Reser Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16722-E16724 10-in. 10/19/1925 Pardon me (While I laugh) Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones ; Phil Ohman ; Harry Reser Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E16775-E16778 10-in. 10/27/1925 Freshie Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E17067-E17069 10-in. 12/8/1925 Keep your skirts down, Mary Ann Billy Jones ; Esther Walker Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E17109-E17111 10-in. 12/17/1925 That certain party Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E17114-E17117 10-in. 12/17/1925 I wonder where my baby is tonight Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E17271-E17274 10-in. 12/28/1925 Why aren’t yez eatin’ more oranges? Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E17275-E17277 10-in. 12/28/1925 I would rather be alone in the South Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E19614-E19617 10-in. 6/19/1926 Finale Male vocal chorus (unidentified; Brunswick Records) Male vocal chorus, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Brunswick E19897-E19899 10-in. 7/23/1926 For my sweetheart Ernie Golden ; Hotel McAlpin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 526-550 of 738 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jones, Billy," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

Jones, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631.

"Jones, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109631

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