John Thomas Haskell (April 30, 1919 – September 26, 1998) was an American singer and announcer in the era of
old-time radio
The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early ...
and later in television.
Early years
Haskell was born in Akron, Ohio and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He majored in music at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
in Chicago, Illinois.
[Cox, Jim (2007). ''Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether from the 1920s to the 1980s--A Biographical Dictionary''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 127.]
Radio
While he was in college, Haskell sang on two Chicago stations,
WBBM and
WGN. and did commercials on ''
The Fitch Bandwagon
''The Fitch Bandwagon'' was an American radio show that aired on NBC from 1938 to 1948. It was sponsored by the F.W. Fitch Shampoo Company, an Iowa-based manufacturer of hair care products. It aired on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.
''The Fit ...
''.
[ Over the years, he was a regular on ''Varieties'', ''The Jim Backus Show'' ''The Peter Lind Hayes Show'',][Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 270.] ''Stop the Music'', and ''Music from the Heart of America''.[Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 467.]
Later in his career, he was one of the hosts for ''Monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, West ...
''.
Personal appearances
After finishing college, Haskell sang with Les Brown and his orchestra.[ Later in his career, he sang in supper clubs.][
]
Military service
During World War II, Haskell was initially a flight instructor at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas and later a Naval Air Transport Service pilot flying R5D transport planes extensively throughout the Pacific Theater for the United States Navy.[
]
Television
Haskell moved from Chicago to New York City to be with Dave Garroway on the first iteration of ''Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
''.[ He was also on '']The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
'', ''The Mike Douglas Show
''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into nati ...
'', ''The Bell Telephone Hour
''The Bell Telephone Hour'' (also known as ''The Telephone Hour'') is a concert series that began April 29, 1940, on NBC Radio, and was heard on NBC until June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in ...
'', ''The Garry Moore Show
''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic talent ...
'',[ '' Garroway at Large'', '' The Dave Garroway Show'', '']The Jack Paar Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', ''Of All Things'', '' Stop the Music'', and ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
''.[Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. .]
Stage
Haskell played Pat Gregory in the Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of '' Mr. President''. He was also active in summer stock theatre
In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock the ...
, including ''Gypsy
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
'' in 1970.
Recording
Recorded solo album, “Jack Swings for Jack (Paar) for the Strand label and the cover cast album of “Destry Rides Again” on RCA Camden, CAL 540. Haskell was the first vocalist signed by Thunderbird Record Company when it began in 1955. He was featured on the company's first recording, ''I Remember Mambo'', backed with ''Who Can Say''.
Personal life
Haskell had a wife, Doris Lee Dahme Haskell, who he married while a US Naval Aviator and Flight Instructor at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. They had a son Thomas. After Doris’ untimely death at age 57, he later married Helen.[
After serving in the US Navy, Haskell was the co-owner in a cattle ranch is Cuero, Texas, only to later relocate to Chicago, Illinois to join early television pioneer, Dave Garroway, and the cast of the television show Garroway At Large.
Haskell was an avid off-shore racing sailor, and amateur photographer.
]
Death
Haskell died September 26, 1998, at the Actors Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, New Jersey.
Partial discography
*''It Couldn't Be True'' - 1946, with Les Brown's Orchestra (Columbia 36977)
*''In Love in Vain'' - 1946, with Les Brown's Orchestra (Columbia 36972)
*''Years and Years Ago'' - 1946, with Les Brown's Orchestra (Columbia 37153)
*''Beware My Heart'' - 1947, with Les Brown's Orchestra (Columbia 37235
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haskell, Jack
1919 births
1998 deaths
People from Akron, Ohio
Singers from Ohio
American radio personalities
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers