Biography
Born in Winnipeg, Alberta, on May 14, 1922, Jackie Rae launched his career at age three alongside siblings Grace and Saul in the Three Raes of Sunshine, a song-and-dance troupe that worked the Canadian vaudeville circuit and appeared regularly in producer Jack Arthur’s variety programs at Toronto’s Shea Theatre. After serving as a talent scout, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and received the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943. Following his wartime service, Rae took a position as a CBC radio producer, overseeing programs featuring comedians Wayne & Shuster and vocalist Gisele MacKenzie. He later spent four years directing the CBC’s radio and television operations before stepping in front of the camera in 1956 to headline The Jackie Rae Show, which ran for two seasons. He then moved to London, where he hosted the BBC series Jackie Rae Presents and Sunday Night at the Palladium. As a Philips/Fontana recording artist he released singles such as “Summer Place,” “The Moon Got in My Eyes,” and “Day by Day,” and gave a command performance at the Victoria Palace in 1961. Greater recognition arrived through songwriting: collaborating with Les Reed he supplied Engelbert Humperdinck’s “When There’s No You” and Tony Bennett’s “Dream Just a Dream,” while his work with James Last produced “Happy Heart,” the frequently recorded number most identified with Andy Williams. Still more prominent was “Please Don’t Go,” Eddy Arnold’s 1969 hit that earned ASCAP’s country song of the year award. Rae returned to Toronto in 1976, established the publishing company Jar Music, and was named executive producer of the Canadian Talent Library, a nonprofit organization supporting recordings by Canadian performers. In 1981 he joined trumpeter Micky Erbe and trombonist Laurie Bower to create the Spitfire Band, a traditional big-band ensemble that issued several albums on Columbia. He received the Order of Canada in 2002 for his contributions to Canadian radio and television. Rae died at his Toronto residence on October 5, 2006.
Albums
