Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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SMITH, Jack ('Smiling')

(b 16 November 1913, Bainbridge Island WA; d 3 July 2006 of leukemia, Westlake Village CA) Singer; a tenor popular in the 1940s. Son of an naval officer, he thought about becoming an architect, but he and his high school glee club buddies Marty Sperzel and Al Teeter were hired in 1931 to sing as the Three Ambassadors with Gus Arnheim at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, replacing the Rhythm Boys, the trio with Bing Crosby that had left to join the Paul Whiteman band. They subsequently went with Phil Harris, later worked with Kate Smith, and split up in 1939. He sang in the chorus on Your Hit Parade and had his own radio shows in the late 1940s.

He sang on the Prudential Hour, a CBS music program, and fan mail said that he sounded like he was smiling when he sang, so host Deems Taylor dubbed him 'the man with the smile in his voice', aka 'Smiling Jack Smith', also to distinguish him from the well-known crooner 'Whispering' Jack Smith.

He sang in the chorus on Your Hit Parade and had his own radio shows in the late 1940s; he appeared in films Make Believe Ballroom '49, On Moonlight Bay '51. Hit records on Capitol '47-9 with the Clark Sisters singing backup included novelties like 'Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)' and 'Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)' (from a Disney film); the biggest was no. 3 'Cruising Down The River' '49, one of several hit versions. He sang, acted and emcee'd on TV (replacing Art Baker as host of You Asked For It in 1958, later taking part in a new syndication in the 1970s). He was married to Victoria for 67 years.