Whispering Jack Smith - Ramona (1928)

Jack Smith (31 May 1898, The Bronx, New York City -- 13 May 1950, New York City) was known as "Whispering" Jack Smith and was a popular baritone singer in the 1920s and 1930s who made a brief come-back in the late 1940s. He was a popular radio and recording artist who occasionally appeared in films.

He began his professional career in 1915, when he sang with a quartet at a theater in the Bronx. After service in World War I, he got a job in 1918 as a "song plugger" for the Irving Berlin Music Publishing Company. He was a pianist at a radio station when he got his singing break substituting for a singer who failed to show up. Smith was exclusively on the radio, but beginning in 1925, he began making records. He also started performing on-stage on the vaudeville circuit. In 1927, Jack Smith was touring England, performing with the Blue Skies Theater Company singing tunes such as "Manhattan" by Rogers and Hart and songs by Gershwin, when he was suddenly replaced by a new all girl singing trio, the Hamilton Sisters & Fordyce. Smith returned to New York and eventually went to work for NBC Radio.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Whispering
• Jack
• Smith
• 1928
• 1920's
• 1930's
• Ramona

[78timothy]

Even as a kid just starting to collect records in the 60's. I was born in 1953. Whenever I found a Whispering Jack Smith record I bought it. When you play it , it's just like having an old friend singing by the piano, just for you and your firends. This even outdoes Austin's recording of this song. The "talking" I Love You, at the end of the song is really the seller of this song. 5*****

[teacher694]

My mother was just playing this song on the piano a few minutes ago. She said it was a very popular song when she was a teenager. It sounds pretty good to me.

[paulkate72]

@78timothy - Have to say disagree most vehemently re your comments about WJS's version of this song compared to Gene Austin's.

For mine, Gene's is the definitive version of Ramona. Surely no one does it better, and in my view only After You've Gone by Gene Austin surpasses his Ramona.

[RockLives4u]

This guy dies at 51 his wife buries him next to his mother (family name Schmidt), in an unmarked grave in the Bronx..They didnt even give Jack a stone to mark is grave..

[rodstarr2001]

Great song !!! nice singing :)

[nightgrooveruk]

amazing thank u ~*~ 

[evsynator]

I hope they teach this stuff in music history in schools etc ...

[duckman531]

Wonderful phrasing!

[utubesucks2003]

Ramona...they're ringing out our song of Love..

[kwassagirl]

Simply beautiful! This song was used as the theme in a french movie 'Hary, He's Here to Help' - my younger sister (17 yrs younger than me) and I (born 1944) went to see film. She was surprised I knew it when I was humming it after and I explained it is a very old song from my childhood. Thanks for posting

[ALYTZANDRA123]

love it!:)