|
A
Far-Flung Virginian
Ernie Hare
1883 -1939
"How do you do
everybody? How do you do?"
A quarter
of a century ago any owner of a radio set with ear
phones and crystal detector could identify those words.
They were part of the theme song of the "Happiness Boys"
program which starred radio's most popular act, Billy
Jones and Ernie Hare. But only a few of the more
ardent fans knew one member of the dup was a native of
Ocean View, Virginia.
Ernie
Hare was born March 15, 1883, in Norfolk Virginia.
He was the son of Thomas Upshur and Mary Ida Roberts
Hare. The Hare residence was located on "Oak Hill"
now identified as 256 W Balview Avenue. The
residence is still there. The residence of John
Carl and Louise Hare Morgan, the "Organox Cottage" (252
W Balview Avenue) was on the hill also. Louise
Morgan was Ernest Hare's sister and the mother of Ernie
Morgan.
Ernest
Hare started out as a baking powder salesman, but was
told that his superb bass should assure him
success as an entertainer. By 1909 Hare was on
Broadway, and in the next decade he sang with an opera
troupe and in 10 Winter Garden Shows. He was
understudy in "Sinbad" for Al Jolson. Hare's fame
grew to be nationwide when he became the recording
partner of a gifted song writer-comedian, the late Al
Bernard. "The Boy from Dixie." Their living
in the same apartment house resulted in a partnership to
record comic specials. Sometimes the accompanying
orchestra was so tickled by their comedy that the
players would get to laughing and the record would have
to be done over.
Hare's
greatest success began in 1921 when he met the tenor,
William Reese Jones. Jones also was born on March
15, but in 1889. He had a varied experience in
musical comedy and opera and in experimental talking
pictures which Thomas A. Edison produced in 1912.
Half a dozen years later he began to make records.
The
meeting of Jones and Hare resulted in one of the few
genuine Damon and Pythias partnerships of show business.
The pair discovered not only were the born on the same
day of the month, but they were the same height,
although Jones was stout and Hare thin; wore the same
size shoes, and the maiden names of the mothers of both
was Roberts. They had identical broad smiles which
made them look so alike they were often taken for
brothers.
Actually,
they were more devoted than most brothers and it was
soon a rarity for one to be seen without the other.
But a keen ear could catch the difference in their
accents. When thee team recorded a song called
"How's Your Folks and My Folks Down in Norfolk Town?"
Jones, like any other New Yorker, pronounced it
"Nor-fork." but Hare showed his Virginia raising by
saying "Nawf'k."
Jones and
Hare quickly became on the the most popular recording
teams. They sang for every American company
under their own names and a good many more. At one
time or other, Hare called himself Wallace Daniels,
Henry Jones, Robert Judson, Frank Mann, "Radio Joe,"
Ernie Spencer, Bob Thomas and Allen Turner.
On
October 18, 1921, the comedians made radio history by
taking part in an experimental program from WJZ.
They were such a hit that the Happiness Candy Company
engaged them for what may have been the first sponsored
program, and they began to broadcast regular as "The
Happiness Boys".
By 1925
Jones and Hare were at the height of their career.
They had adopted the 'How Do You Do?" theme song which
they recorded for many companies. Eventually, the
pair's network engagements were mostly restricted to
guest shots but they remained a big personal appearance
attraction. In 1938 they were engaged for two
weeks at the Roxy Theater, but were so well liked they
stayed for 19 weeks.
The end
came for comedy's most devoted duo when Ernie Hare
died in Queens General Hospital on March 9, 1939.
He had pneumonia in its worst form.
Hear the
Happiness Boys singing
How Do You Do
Everybody? How Do You Do?
|