Jack Jones, the singer behind The Love Boat theme song, dies age 86

Jack Jones Jack Jones in concert at the Cadogan Hall, London, Britain - 03 Feb 2016
Jack Jones has died at the age of 86 (Picture: Judy Totton/Shutterstock)

Grammy Award-winning singer Jack Jones has died at the age of 86.

Jones died on Wednesday night in California, after a two-year battle with leukaemia.

His stepdaughter Nicole Whitty told The Hollywood Reporter that he passed at the Eisenhower Medical in Rancho Mirage.

The singer was a huge vocalist in the 1960s and was best known for his hit song, the Love Boat theme tune, which was for a popular ABC show that ran from 1977 to 1987.

The Coachella Valley resident also had major success with hits including Wives and Lovers, The Race is On, and Lollypops and Roses.

The singer won two Grammy awards over his long career and became a staple feature on several variety shows including The Judy Garland Show, Playboy After Dark, The Jack Benny Program, The Steve Allen Show, and The Morecambe and Wise Show.

Publicity photo of Jack Jones singing circa 1968 Jack Jones
The singer had huge success in the 1960s (Picture: THA/Shutterstock)

In 2016 he told Las Vegas Magazine that he was in the airforce just months before winning his first Grammy.

‘I went into the Air Force Reserve shortly after that. While I was on two weeks leave after active duty I went into the studio and made Lollipops and Roses.

‘By the time I got out after six months of active duty, Lollipops and Roses was a hit. Then it won a Grammy in ’61.’

Singer Jack Jones poses for a portrait in 1986 in Los Angeles, California.
The singer was born into fame (Picture: Harry Langdon/Getty Images)

Singer Jack Jones (L) and wife Eleonora Jones arrive at the 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards
The singer and his wife Eleonora Jones lived together in Indian Wells in California (Picture: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

The singer had his own BBC show which he hosted between 1973 and 1978 titled The Jack Jones Show.

The American artist was born in 1938 into a showbiz household. His mother was Irene Hervey, an Emmy-nominated actress who appeared on television for five decades.

Jones’ father was Allan Jones, an actor who appeared in several films across the 1930s and even had a hit song titled The Donkey Serenade.

Jones was married six times during his life. He died with two daughters, Crystal and Nicole and two stepdaughters Colette and Nicole.

His first daughter is named Crystal Thomas and from his marriage to Lee Fuller. His second child is a daughter named Nicole, born in 1991 with his fifth wife Kim Ely.

JACK JONES 'LESLIE CROWTHER SHOW' 1970
The singer was a huge artist during his long career (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

Although Jones was predominantly a singer and performer and took his talents onto the silver screen in a few movie cameo appearances.

In 1982 he appeared in the comedy Airplane II: The Sequel, he can be seen performing the theme song in a cameo as a tuxedo-clad lounge singer.

In 2013, Jones appeared as himself as the nightclub singer in the film American Hustle.

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