Grammy-winning crooner Jack Jones, known for singing 'The Love Boat' theme, dies at 86

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October 25, 2024

Jack Jones, left, appears with former cast members of The Love Boat in 2015.
Casey Rodgers/Invision for Princess Cruises/AP

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for "The Love Boat" television show theme song, has died. He was 86.

Jones died Wednesday night at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, after battling leukemia for more than two years, according to his manager, Milt Suchin.

Jones began his singing career in the 1950s and in the 1960s won two Grammy Awards for best vocal performance, one on the song “Lollipops And Roses" and one on the song “Wives and Lovers.”

He was nominated for several other Grammys in later years, including for the album "Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett" in 1999.

In 1980, his "Love Boat" television show theme song rose to No. 37 on the Billboard U.S. Adult Contemporary songs chart. Jones was also a frequent guest on the popular romantic comedy show in which guest stars, including Gene Kelly and Janet Jackson, would come aboard for a cruise and fall in love with one another.

A social-media account for The Ed Sullivan Show, an American television variety show that aired for decades, posted on X on Thursday that Jones lit up the show with smooth vocals and unforgettable performances.

“His music will forever inspire us,” the post said. “Thank you for the memories, Jack. Rest in peace.”