[78-L] Jan Peerce - Soundies

[Stewart, Joseph R]

David Lennick noted that Peerce used the pseudonym "Jack Pearl" in his early pop-music days.  I have a cassette tape recorded off-air of his appearance on the "Tonight Show" in 1976, telling Johnny Carson he sang with dance bands under the name Jack "Pinky" Pearl  (his middle name was "Pincus", after all). He told Carson he stopped using that name because he didn't want to be confused with radio comedian Jack "Vass you dere, Sharlie??/Baron Munchhausen" Pearl.   He also mentioned how, after being hired to sing at Radio City Music Hall by Roxy Rothafel, Roxy tried to give him the stage name "John Pierce." Peerce then slightly ethnicized it to "Jan Peerce" (this story also shows up in the Wacky-pedia entry on Peerce).

Randy Stewart
Arts Producer
KSMU
901 S. National
Springfield MO 65897