Jack Jones dies at the age of 86: The Grammy-winning singer of the title song “The Love Boat” has died

Grammy winner Jack Jones, who sang the iconic theme song “Love Boat,” has died at the age of 86.

The singer and actor died on Wednesday evening, his family said, according to KESQ.

His stepdaughter Nicole Whitty told The Hollywood Reporter that Jones died after a two-year battle with leukemia. He died at Eisenhower Medical in Rancho Mirage, California, she said.

In addition to the title track “Love Boat,” Jones has also released the popular tracks “Wives and Lovers” and “Lollipops and Roses.”

According to KESQ, Jones received two Grammy awards throughout his career and appeared frequently on variety shows in the '60s and '70s.

Grammy-winning Jack Jones, who sang the iconic “Love Boat” theme song, has died aged 86; pictured 2010

In addition to singing, Jones also worked as an actor, appearing in 1982's “Airplane II: The Sequel” and 2013's “American Hustle.”

A long-time resident of the Coachella Valley, Jones received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 2003.

“Because of the Love Boat theme, everything was great on ships after that,” he told Las Vegas Magazine during an interview in 2016. “I worked six weeks a year. They gave me the best suite on the ship, and it was the SS Norway. “We just had a great time.”

Show business was in Jones' blood – his mother, Irene Hervey, was an actress with decades of film and television experience, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was even nominated for an Emmy.

Jones' father, Allan Jones, was also an actor and singer behind The Donkey Serenade.

According to THR, the song “Love Boat” was released by Jones as a single in 1979.

And the singer didn't mind poking fun at the love song from time to time – he briefly made a humorous appearance in Airplane II: The Sequel as a lounge singer performing the song.

Jones pictured with wife Eleonora in 2015

Jones appeared at the BBC Television Theater in London in 1972

Jones's gentle vocals served as the theme for the hit series Love Boat

“So it’s not the greatest song in the world,” Jones once told a reporter, according to the Washington Post. “But I think almost every singer would like to have a song that they identify with.”

The show aired from 1977 to 1987 and his voice served as the theme for the first eight seasons until Dionne Warwick's vocals were used for the ninth season.

Jones won his first Grammy for Best Male Solo Vocal Performance in 1964 for “Lollipops and Roses,” which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, according to THR.

He received his second Grammy in 1942 with the title “Wives and Lovers,” a song that he says really helped launch his career.

“The people at Kapp Records, who I was recording for at the time, put the song on the B-side of the single, but disc jockeys turned it around and played it anyway,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1993.

He even received praise from Frank Sinatra, who called him the “next big star of show business” in the '60s – a remark that Jones interpreted as his heir to the throne, according to the Washington Post.

He received his second Grammy in 1942 with the title “Wives and Lovers,” a song that he says really helped launch his career. pictured in 1982

“I was thrilled,” he told the Guardian in 2002. “There was just one problem: He never retired.” When a man reaches this level of fame, you can't get rid of him. Many of us were unwilling to give up what Frank did to realize his mystique.

“I wasn't afraid of having a great baby on my arm, but that's important if you want to be a star,” he said.

Jones' prolific career saw him release 50 albums and he was also nominated for a Grammy for The Impossible Dream.

His vocals can also be heard on other soundtracks – according to THR, he has contributed to films such as “Good Morning,” “Vietnam,” “Goodfellas,” “Reckless,” “Bobby,” “Duplex” and the film “American Hustle.” , in which he appeared.

Jones' prolific career saw him release 50 albums and he was also nominated for a Grammy for “The Impossible Dream.”

He remained a fixture on the stage – according to THR, he continued to perform even after he turned 80. The outlet also reports that he headlined Las Vegas for seven decades.

According to THR, Jones has been married six times. According to the Washington Post, he was married to actress Jill St. John for just over a year in the '60s and had a four-year relationship with actress Susan George in the '70s.

According to the Washington Post, he is survived by his wife Eleonora, his daughter from his first marriage Crystal Jones, his daughter from his fifth marriage Nicole Ramasco, stepdaughters Nicoly and Colette Peters, and three grandchildren.