Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr. (November 30, 1931 – December 27, 2019), known professionally as Jack Sheldon, was an American singer, musician, and actor. He performed on '' The Merv Griffin Show'' and participated in episodes of the educational music television series ''

Schoolhouse Rock! ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming block on the U.S. television network ABC. The t ...

'', where he became known for his distinctive voice.

Biography

Music and TV

Sheldon was born in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which th ...

, United States. He originally became known through his participation in the

West Coast jazz West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied re ...

movement of the 1950s, performing and recording with such figures as

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was know ...

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

, and

Curtis Counce Curtis Counce (January 23, 1926 – July 31, 1963) was an American hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist. Biography Counce was born in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to California in 1945. He began recording in 1946 with Lester Youn ...

. Sheldon played the trumpet, sang, and performed on '' The Merv Griffin Show''. He was Griffin's sidekick for many years. Prior to joining Griffin's show, he served as bandleader for the short-lived ''

The Las Vegas Show ''The Las Vegas Show'' was an American late night television program broadcast in May 1967 on the short-lived United Network. The two-hour-long talk show, hosted by comedian Bill Dana, was supposed to be the flagship program of a planned fourth ...

''. His voice is perhaps best known from the ''

'' cartoons of the 1970s, such as "Conjunction Junction" and "

I'm Just a Bill "I'm Just a Bill" is a 1976 ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' segment, featuring a song of the same title written by Dave Frishberg. The segment debuted as part of "America Rock," the third season of the ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' series. Overview The song is sung ...

". He appeared in one episode of ''

Johnny Bravo ''Johnny Bravo'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is the second of the network's Cartoon Cartoons, which aired fr ...

'' as the Sensitive Man. He sang a few songs in the episode similar to the ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' style. Sheldon returned to the ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' series for a 2002 episode titled "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College", explaining the electoral college process, distributed on the series' DVD collection that same year. Sheldon sang and played trumpet for the new segment. Sheldon voiced "Louie the Lightning Bug" in a series of animated musical

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

s (animated by legend Bob Kurtz from his

Kurtz & Friends Kurtz & Friends is an American animation studio founded by Bob Kurtz in 1972. Based in Burbank, California, the studio is known for producing films and television commercials. Kurtz & Friends has created/produced animated theatrical titles for ...

studio) aimed at children across the United States and Canada, beginning in May 1984, promoting safety with electricity. In 2001, the "Louie the Lightning Bug" videos were updated with new voice-overs by Sheldon and new music tracks produced by Mark Harrelson, with updated musical arrangements by Ray Reach. He sang the tune "King Putt" for The World According to Goofy Parade at

Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...

, which ran for five months in 1992. A trumpet solo of his is featured throughout the Francis Ford Coppola film '' One from the Heart'' (1982). Tom Waits' 1977 album ''

Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy a ...

'' includes Sheldon playing trumpet on several cuts, including the solo at the end of "Burma Shave". In the 1964–1965 season, Sheldon starred with

Cara Williams Cara Williams (born Bernice Kamiat; June 29, 1925 – December 9, 2021) was an American film and television actress. She was best known for her role as Billy's Mother in ''The Defiant Ones'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy A ...

and

Frank Aletter Frank George Aletter (January 14, 1926 – May 13, 2009) was an American theatre, film, and television actor. Early years Born in College Point, Queens, New York, Aletter studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop in Manhattan. He served in the ...

on the CBS

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...

'' The Cara Williams Show'', in which Williams and Aletter played a married couple trying to keep their marriage a secret because their employer forbade a husband and wife from working together; Sheldon portrayed a jazz trumpeter who was the couple's next-door neighbor and friend. From 1966–1967, Sheldon starred in his own 16-episode CBS sitcom, ''

Run, Buddy, Run ''Run, Buddy, Run'' was an American comedy TV series that aired on CBS for one season of 16 episodes in 1966-1967. The series was created by Leonard B. Stern, and starred jazz trumpeter, singer, and actor Jack Sheldon. Description At a steambat ...

'', as Buddy Overstreet, a young

accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...

taking a steam bath who, overhearing a

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

's plot to kill a colleague, then goes on the run to keep from being killed. Bruce Gordon, formerly of '' The Untouchables'', played the mobster, "Mr. D". Sheldon made numerous appearances on the 1967–1970 version of '' Dragnet''. He also played John Davidson's brother (and

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Fe ...

's brother-in-law) on '' The Girl with Something Extra'' (1974). In 2004, he performed live at the end of '' ALF's Hit Talk Show''.

Film

Sheldon appeared in an Oscar-nominated documentary film '' Let's Get Lost'' about the life of fellow jazz trumpeter

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

. He made an appearance in the 1994 film '' Radioland Murders'' as the ill-fated trumpet player Ruffles Reedy, who becomes a victim of the gruesome goings-on during a 1939 radio show. Jack's poignant trumpet solo on " The Shadow of Your Smile" which was introduced in the 1965 film '' The Sandpiper'' helped earn it Song of the Year at the

1966 Grammy Awards The 8th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 15, 1966, at Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1965. Roger Miller topped off the Grammys by winning 5 awards, whereas Herb Alpert ...

and Best Original Song at the 1965 Academy Awards. Sheldon performed one of the many versions of the title song featured in

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New ...

's 1973 film '' The Long Goodbye''. His version was intended to be released as a single, but never was. Sheldon is the subject of a documentary, ''Trying to Get Good: the Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon'' (2008). Produced by

Doug McIntyre Douglas John McIntyre (born November 11, 1957) is the former host of ''McIntyre In The Morning'' on KABC 790 Los Angeles. He retired after 22 years in broadcasting on December 14, 2018. McIntyre is a long-time columnist for the Southern Califo ...

and Penny Peyser, the film features interviews with

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...

, Merv Griffin,

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an award-winning American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album ''Impressions''. He was also nominated in ...

, Dave Frishberg,

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

Tierney Sutton Tierney Sutton (born June 28, 1963) is an American jazz singer. Career Sutton was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She received a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and attended t ...

, as well as never before seen concert footage of Sheldon playing, singing and joking. ''Trying to Get Good'' won Jury Prizes at the 2008 Kansas City Film Makers Jubilee and

Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival beg ...

, as well as Audience Prizes at Newport Beach and the

Indianapolis International Film Festival Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge, and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond. Indianapolis International Film Festival is also ...

Parody

Sheldon parodied his own performance in "I'm Just a Bill" in an episode of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' called "

The Day the Violence Died "The Day the Violence Died" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 1996. It was written by John Swartzw ...

", where he is an "

amendment An amendment is a formal or official change made to a law, contract, constitution, or other legal document. It is based on the verb to amend, which means to change for better. Amendments can add, remove, or update parts of these agreements. The ...

to be". He reprised his roles as the Bill and the Conductor from "Conjunction Junction" in two episodes of ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

''.

Death

Sheldon died of natural causes on December 27, 2019, at the age of 88.

Discography

As leader

* ''Jack Sheldon Quintet'' (Jazz: West, 1955) * ''The Quartet and the Quintet'' (Jazz: West, 1956) * ''A Jazz Band Ball'' with Stu Williamson (Mode, 1959) * ''A Jazz Profile of Ray Charles'' (Reprise, 1961) * ''Jack's Groove'' (GNP, 1961) * ''Out!'' ( Capitol, 1962) * ''Oooo, But it's Good'' (Capitol, 1963) * ''The Warm World of Jack Sheldon'' ( Dot, 1968) * ''The Cool World of Jack Sheldon'' (Dot, 1969) * ''Singular'' (Beez, 1980) * ''Playin' It Straight'' (RealTime, 1981) * ''Stand By for Jack Sheldon'' (Concord Jazz, 1983) * ''Hollywood Heroes'' (Concord Jazz, 1988) * ''On My Own'' (Concord Jazz, 1992) * ''Jack Sheldon Sings'' (

Butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

, 1993) * ''Jack Sheldon Presents The Entertainers'' (V.S.O.P., 1994) * ''Jack is Back!'' (Butterfly, 1995) * ''Live at Don Mupo's Gold Nugget'' (V.S.O.P., 1997) * ''

Playing for Change Playing For Change is a multimedia music project, featuring musicians and singers from across the globe, co-founded in 2002 by American Grammy award-winning music producer/engineer and award-winning film director Mark Johnson and film producer/ph ...

'' (

Uptown Uptown may refer to: Neighborhoods or regions in several cities United States * Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico * Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina * Uptown, area surrounding the University of Ci ...

, 1997) * ''JSO Live! On the Pacific Ocean'' (Butterfly, 2001) * ''Sunday Afternoons at the Lighthouse'' (Woofy, 2005) * ''Listen Up'' (Butterfly, 2006) * ''It's What I Do'' (Buttefly, 2007)

As guest

With

* ''

The Curtis Counce Group ''The Curtis Counce Group'' (later released as ''Landslide'') is an album by American jazz bassist Curtis Counce recorded in 1956 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (Contemporary, 1956) * ''

You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce! ''You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce!'' (later released as ''Councelation'') is an album by American jazz bassist Curtis Counce recorded in 1956 and 1957 and released on the Contemporary label.Carl's Blues ''Carl's Blues'' is an album by American jazz bassist Curtis Counce recorded in 1957 and 1958 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (Contemporary, 1957) * '' Sonority'' (Contemporary, 1957–8

989 Year 989 ( CMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat ...

With

Jimmy Giuffre James Peter Giuffre (, ; April 26, 1921 – April 24, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He is known for developing forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating f ...

* ''

'' (Capitol, 1955) * '' Tangents in Jazz'' (Capitol, 1956) * '' The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet'' (Atlantic, 1956) With

* '' The Stage Door Swings'' (Capitol, 1958) * '' Kenton Live from the Las Vegas Tropicana'' (Capitol, 1959 961 * ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fi ...

'' (Capitol, 1969) With

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

* ''

'' (Asylum, 1977) * '' One from the Heart'' (Columbia, 1982) With others *

, '' I Want to Live'' (United Artists, 1958) *

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (inclu ...

, '' Great Ideas of Western Mann'' (Riverside, 1957) * Shelly Manne, ''

My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast ''My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast'' is an album by drummer Shelly Manne with Jack Sheldon and Irene Kral and musical direction by Johnny Williams, recorded in 1964 and released on the Capitol label.The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

, '' The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees'' (Colgems, 1968) * Frank Morgan, '' Frank Morgan'' (Gene Norman Presents, 1955) *

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

, '' Cool Heat'' (Verve, 1959) *

, '' The Return of Art Pepper'' (Jazz: West, 1956) * Art Pepper, '' Smack Up'' (Contemporary, 1960) *

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

, '' The Subterraneans (Soundtrack)'' (MGM, 1960) * Pete Rugolo, '' Behind Brigitte Bardot'' (Warner Bros., 1960) *

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/ hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of h ...

, '' Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements'' (Verve, 1959) *

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

, '' Lena...Lovely and Alive'' (RCA, 1962)

Filmography

* 1962 : ''Music of the 60's'' : 3rd trumpet and featured soloist on several tunes * 1965: "The Sandpiper" Music by Johnny Mandel: featured trumpet soloist * 1966-1967 : ''

'' (TV) : Buddy Overstreet (series star - all 13 episodes) * 1967 : '' Dragnet'' (TV) : Various Characters (unknown episodes) * 1969 : ''Under the Yum Yum Tree'' (TV) : Charlie Prokter * 1969-1970 : ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'' (TV) : Freddie Kirby, Ronald "Ronnie" Coleman (episodes: The Organ Fund, Selma Plout's Plot) * 1973-2009 : ''

'' (TV series) : Conductor/The Bill/Additional Voices (voice) * 1973-1974 : '' The Girl with Something Extra'' (TV series) : Jerry Burton (12 episodes) * 1973 : ''

The Long Goodbye (film) ''The Long Goodbye'' is a 1973 American neo-noir satirical mystery crime thriller film directed by Robert Altman and based on Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel. The screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett, who co-wrote the screenplay for Chandl ...

'' : Vocals, probably trumpet on title song * 1976 : '' Freaky Friday'' : Lloyd * 1984 : '' Cassevetes Love Streams: Almost in Love with You'' : Vocal and Trumpet * 1988 : '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (TV) : Holodeck Pianist (11001001) * 1988 : '' Let's Get Lost'' : Himself * 1991 : '' For the Boys'' : Wally Fields * 1993 : ''Lush Life'' (TV) : Norman * 1994 : ''Radioland Murders'' : Ruffles Reed * 1996 : '' Dear God'' : Homeless Trumpeter * 1996 : ''

'' (TV series) : The Amendment (voice) (episode:

) * 1997 : ''

'' (TV series) (voice) * 1998 : '' Hard Time'' (TV) : Trumpet * 1998 : Mike Hammer (TV) episode(s) "Songbird" parts 1-2 Co-starred w/Keach as "Des" Bandleader/Trumpet player/ Singer. * 1999 : ''Hard Time: The Premonition'' (TV) : Trumpet * 1999 : ''Hard Time: Hostage Hotel'' (TV) : Trumpet * 2000-2001 : ''

'' (TV series) : Conductor/The Bill (voice) (episodes: Running Mates, Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington) * 2004 : '' Teacher's Pet'' : Vocals on Song- "Take the Money and Run" * 2010 : ''A Girl's Life'': Ford Mosquito (voice)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheldon, Jack 1931 births 2019 deaths American male singers American jazz singers American male television actors American male voice actors Bebop singers Bebop trumpeters Burials in Orange County, California Musicians from Jacksonville, Florida West Coast jazz singers West Coast jazz trumpeters Male actors from Jacksonville, Florida 21st-century trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians