TVXOHOF TRIBUTE (FRIDAY FAREWELL) - JACK JONES

From TVLine:

Grammy-winning singer Jack Jones, the voice behind the iconic theme song for The Love Boat, died Wednesday following a battle with leukemia. He was 86.

Jones was known primarily as a pop singer, with hits that included “Lollipops and Roses,” “Wives and Lovers,” “The Race Is On,” “The Impossible Dream” and “Call Me Irresponsible.”

He was also a variety show staple in the ’60s and ’70s, having performed on 'The Ed Sullivan Show', 'The Andy Williams Show', 'The Carol Burnett Show', 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', 'The Dick Cavett Show' and 'The Steve Allen Show'.

But it was the theme song from the opening title sequence of ABC’s 'The Love Boat', which aired from 1977-1986, which made Jones something of a pop culture icon.

If it weren’t for his connection to that theme song, we might not be here today….

JACK JONES

From Wikipedia:

John Allan Jones (January 14, 1938 – October 23, 2024) was an American singer and actor.

Jones was primarily a straight-pop singer (even when he recorded contemporary material) whose forays into jazz were mostly of the big-band/swing variety. He won two Grammy Awards and received a total of five nominations.

Jones continued to perform concerts around the world and in Las Vegas. His recordings include "Lollipops and Roses", "Wives and Lovers", "The Race Is On", "The Impossible Dream", and "Call Me Irresponsible".

Between 1973 and 1978, Jones hosted “The Jack Jones Show”, directed by Stanley Dorfman, produced and broadcast by the BBC.

He sang the opening theme for the television series “The Love Boat” (1977–1985), and appeared in a 1980 episode with his father Allan.

Jones played himself in the episode "The Vegas Show" of “It's a Living”.  He also appeared in the Chris Elliot television show “Get a Life” on Fox.

THE JOEY SHOW

JOEY, JACK JONES, AND THE GENIE (1964)
After Joey has Jack Jones on his show and admires his talent, he precedes to have a fantasy dream that night. In it Ellie is a genie and grants Joey's wish to be a pop singer pursued by fanatical young fans. 

(Jack also appears in the dream as the Music Genie.)

O'Bservation:
Ed McMahon was also in that dream, appearing as himself.  McMahon is already in the TVXOHOF.

THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM

THE JACK JONES SHOW (1965)
Jack Jones sings two songs. Jack Benny plays the role of a school principal, and Jack Jones plays the role of a schoolteacher in the show's sketch.

THE JACK JONES SHOW (1973-1978)

From the BBC

IT’S A LIVING

THE VEGAS SHOW PART 1 (1987)
Sonny pesters singer Jack Jones into getting him a gig in Las Vegas. Howard gets jealous when Nancy makes a date with Jack Jones who invites her to go to Vegas with him.

ZONK – Jack Jones mentions ‘The Jeffersons’

GET A LIFE

PILE OF DEATH (1990)
To save his childhood park, Chris raises money by trying to break the world record for having things piled on you.  (This caused a traffic jam in which Jack Jones got stuck.  In order to move things along, he performed for the crowd to raise the money needed.)

NIGHT COURT

DAY COURT (1990)
When the staff shifts to day hours, Roz become unbearably perky. Christine also feels a personality change is in order.  Mac and Dan discover that the cafeteria is a nightclub during the day where Jack Jones is the headliner.

BUDDY FARO
PILOT (1998)
Top LA private eye Buddy Faro mysteriously vanished in 1978. Twenty years later, his niece hires not-so-top investigator Bob Jones to find him. This involves a trip to Mexico, plenty of gunfire, and sleazy underworld figures at every step.  (Jones is seen performing in a nightclub.)

CRUISE OF THE GODS (TV Movie 2002)

Andy (Brydon) is a struggling actor who has never quite reached the success of his first role as Romak in sci-fi series “Children Of Castor”. When he finds himself as a hotel porter he decides it time to go on that fan-club cruise he's been putting off for a while. Whilst there he meets Nick (Coogan), his co-star from the TV series. Nick is now a Hollywood success starring in “Sherlock Holmes...In Miami”. This is the story of the cruise and the surprising events that happen along the way.  

O'Bservation:

While at the bar, Andy talks, somewhat disparagingly, about Jack Jones, whose fan club is also on board that cruise.  He asks the guy sitting next to him if he was on the cruise for that reason.

It turns out that it was Jones himself he was talking to and he never realized it.)

Also, here are some other members of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, who, like Jack Jones, were inducted as members of the League of Themselves:

Jack Jones & Milton Berle

Jack Jones & Andy Williams

Jack Jones & Dean Martin

Jack Jones & Tony Bennett

Jack Jones with Steve Larence & Ed McMahon

I have to admit that this was not one of those times where I kept putting off someone’s induction into the TVXOHOF until it was too late; Jack Jones was never on my radar.  But it has become common practice for me to check the resumes of celebrities known for their membership in the League of Themselves when it comes to television appearances.  

And as I referenced earlier, his rendition of the theme to ‘The Love Boat’ probably is the reason why his fictional televersion appeared as often as he did.  

(In the early days of his career, he made appearances as actual characters in such shows as ‘The Rat Patrol’, ‘Police Woman’, ‘McMillan & Wife’, and ‘The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries’, and even ‘The Love Boat’ with his dad, Alan Jones… none of which would have qualified him for this ::ahem!:: high honor.)

We may not have been expecting you, Jack Jones, but welcome aboard!