Jack Barry (singer)

Jack Barry was the stage name of Jacob Belser (December 15 1909 - September 23 1982), who sang on the radio from 1930-1936 on The Jack Barry Show.

Early life

Barry was the first child of Osias Belser (1891-1918) and Anna Belser (1890-1962). His parents were Romanian Jews, who immigrated to the United States from Bucharest in 1907. He was raised and educated in Brooklyn, New York, and his father supported himself and Anna as a railroad engineer. In 1918, Osias died unexpectedly from appendicitis, which was then a common cause of death. After the death of his father, Anna and Jack developed a very close relationship.

The college "dropout" becomes a radio star

By 1925, Barry was doing exceptionally well in school, and he was accepted into New York University in September 1927. There, he majored in liberal arts, and attended a few years of college. In 1929, when the stock market crash caused the Great Depression, Barry was forced out of New York University into a small Brooklyn apartment. He took advantage of his amazing singing talent, and immediately was signed to the radio. His first broadcast was in early 1930, and he called himself "Jack Barry" to hide his Jewish background and gain a good audience. His back-up group was already there for him--as many were racists toward Jews, his back-up group were four black men which the station called the Four Spades. "The Jack Barry Show" was on a roll. On the show, Barry would sing popular standards of the era, such as "Stardust", "Five Foot Two", and "The Darktown Strutters Ball."

Jack, the insurance broker

In 1935, Barry decided to set off with his money and begin a new career. Since he was already making enough money to survive the Great Depression, he didn't really want to be on the radio anymore. He became an insurance broker at John Hancock Insurance and quickly made many lifelong friends. Harold, Sam, and Morty would remain friends for a long time. Upon entering the insurance business, Barry registered his name under Jack Belser, and he would be called Jack for the rest of his life. An interesting thing is that Barry's family found out that his name was Jacob twenty-four years after his death!

Marjorie

In the mid-1940s, Jack met a beautiful Irish girl, Marjorie O'Brien. To charm Marjorie, Jack said that his name was Jacques, and everyone always called him "a real charmer." Jack registered his credit cards under JACQUES, his business cards under JACQUES, and though he never legally changed his name, everyone thought that Jacques Belser was his real name. Jack and Marjorie fell in love, however, and they were married in 1949. On December 30, 1951, Marjorie gave birth to David Osias, named after Barry's father. Surprisingly, their daughter Ona was born on Valentine's Day in 1957! Following the Jewish custom of naming after deceased relatives, Jack created the name Ona to name her after his father. David and his father developed a wonderful relationship, and the fact that David always sided with his father would eventually lead to some family problems...

Divorce

In 1961, Marjorie started to drink a little too much. The story goes that she went to a doctor because she was often tense, and the doctor recommended having a little drink once and a while to cool her down. Marjorie began to come home drunk. Jack defended his children, for he thought that she was a terrible role model for David and Ona, and they often fought. David still recalls that Jack threw a statue that Marjorie designed during a fight. Marjorie and Jack divorced in 1962. In 1963, they were remarried and the marriage only lasted six months. David and Ona grew up with no mom around.

Fun with the kids

"Dad always took me and Ona to Coney Island," David said in 2005. "Times were way different then--while dad and I rode the roller coaster, Ona would stand in the street and wait. Today, that seems bad, but he was the greatest dad." He would sing and play the ukulele, which was an instrument that he picked up in the radio times. He would also indulge his children, buying them as much "his" money could buy. Though Jack was farthest from religious, Hanukkah was one of his favorite times during the year. Unlike most old-timers, the 1909 Jack would also listen to modern music with the kids, enjoying the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and other musicians of the era. He especially enjoyed Bob Dylan.

The retired years

Jack retired from John Hancock Insurance in 1972. People sent cards and "thank you" notes to Jack. As said earlier, they all called him "a real charmer." He was sent flowers and all sorts of small gifts. In his later years, he devoted all of his time to having fun. He celebrated Hanukkah with David and his girlfriend Sharon, and went to Romania and Spain with Ona. Along with owning pets, he recorded songs with David playing guitar, and performed at David's wedding in 1980. He also got to see Ona get married in 1982. From 1980-1982, he volunteered to help teach at the United Cerebral Palsy Center [http://www.ucp.org] near home.

Death

On September 23, 1982, Jack had a heart attack while in the bathroom at the United Cerebral Palsy Center. There was no one in the bathroom to bring Barry to the hospital. He died very peacefully at 10:30 AM. David was notified by a neighbor, and Jack's gravesite is at the Mt. Ararat Jewish Cemetery on Long Island. Barry is survived by David, his grandson Jonah, & Ona and his granddaughters Janna and Sarah.

Radio Show

The Jack Barry Show was a radio program that ran from 1930-1936, which was hosted by Jack Barry. Jack Barry was a singer that often sang jazz standards with his back-up rhythm group, the Four Spades. The show came off the air when Barry became an insurance broker.

References