Biography
Accounts suggest that the reserved baritone known as Whispering Jack Smith cultivated his distinctive, close-up vocal approach following throat damage incurred amid a gas assault on the front lines in France amid the First World War. While he indeed endured this ordeal, Smith possessed the ability to deliver his vocals with full force comparable to fellow performers on stage. The arrival of the microphone during 1925 allowed him to cultivate that gentle, murmured character which stood in sharp contrast to the boisterous acts typical of vaudeville stages.
From 1925 onward, this Smith—distinct from the 1916-born actor and lively tenor pop singer Jack Smith—produced ongoing Victor and HMV discs both stateside and across the Atlantic in London, where he made occasional revue appearances. Absent self-accompaniment on piano, he would enlist others for keyboard work or guitar strumming. Particular notice went to his 1926 version of “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along,” which included guest whistling by Carson Robison. Additional performances involved collaborations with assorted high-society dance bands. Foremost successes came via “Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?” together with “Me and My Shadow.” His initial London showing occurred within the Midnight Follies at the Hotel Metropole during 1926, followed by a role in Blue Skies at New York’s Vaudeville theater in 1927. England drew him back for the April 4, 1928 premiere of Will-o’-the-Whispers at the Shaftesbury Theatre, after which receptive crowds in Berlin greeted his August appearances that same year.
Hollywood beckoned in 1930, leading to a part in the early sound film Cheer Up and Smile where he rendered “You May Not Like It - But It’s a Great Idea.” Throughout the decade that followed, Whispering Jack Smith maintained stage activity even as shifting tastes diminished his following. A limited return in 1940 yielded several nostalgic discs before swift retreat into premature withdrawal from the spotlight. Ill-suited to an era growing ever more brash and noisy, he died in New York in May 1951.
From 1925 onward, this Smith—distinct from the 1916-born actor and lively tenor pop singer Jack Smith—produced ongoing Victor and HMV discs both stateside and across the Atlantic in London, where he made occasional revue appearances. Absent self-accompaniment on piano, he would enlist others for keyboard work or guitar strumming. Particular notice went to his 1926 version of “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along,” which included guest whistling by Carson Robison. Additional performances involved collaborations with assorted high-society dance bands. Foremost successes came via “Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?” together with “Me and My Shadow.” His initial London showing occurred within the Midnight Follies at the Hotel Metropole during 1926, followed by a role in Blue Skies at New York’s Vaudeville theater in 1927. England drew him back for the April 4, 1928 premiere of Will-o’-the-Whispers at the Shaftesbury Theatre, after which receptive crowds in Berlin greeted his August appearances that same year.
Hollywood beckoned in 1930, leading to a part in the early sound film Cheer Up and Smile where he rendered “You May Not Like It - But It’s a Great Idea.” Throughout the decade that followed, Whispering Jack Smith maintained stage activity even as shifting tastes diminished his following. A limited return in 1940 yielded several nostalgic discs before swift retreat into premature withdrawal from the spotlight. Ill-suited to an era growing ever more brash and noisy, he died in New York in May 1951.
Albums
Singles
