Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for the Love Boat television show theme song, has died, the AP reports. He was 86. Jones died Wednesday night at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, after battling leukemia for more than two years, according to a statement from his manager, Milt Suchin. Jones began his singing career in the 1950s, first as a "prolific nightclub singer" once seen as an heir to Frank Sinatra, per the Los Angeles Times; in the 1960s he won two Grammy Awards for best vocal performance, one on the song "Lollipops And Roses" and one on the song "Wives and Lovers." He was nominated for several other Grammys in later years, including for the album Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett in 1999.
In 1980, his Love Boat television show theme song rose to No. 37 on the Billboard US Adult Contemporary songs chart. Jones was also a frequent guest on the popular romantic comedy show in which guest stars, ranging from Gene Kelly to Janet Jackson, would come aboard for a cruise and fall in love with one another. Later in life, Jones gave up smoking and "remained in full command of his singing voice well into his 80s," per the Washington Post, allowing him to continue singing in casino nightclubs. A social media account for the Ed Sullivan Show, an American television variety show that aired for decades, posted on X on Thursday that Jones lit up the Love Boat with smooth vocals and unforgettable performances. "His music will forever inspire us," the post said. "Thank you for the memories, Jack. Rest in peace." (More obituary stories.)
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