Grammy winner Jack Jones, known for singing the theme song “The Love Boat,” dies at 86

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) – Jack Jones, the Grammy-winning singer known for the theme song of the TV show “The Love Boat,” has died. He was 86 years old.

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

Jones began his singing career in the 1950s, and in the 1960s he won two Grammy Awards for Best Vocal Performance, one for the song “Lollipops And Roses” and one for the song “Wives and Lovers”.

He was nominated for several other Grammy Awards in later years, including for the album “Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett” in 1999.

FILE – Loni Anderson and Jack Jones arrive "A tribute to the memory of Bob Hope" show on... — FILE – Loni Anderson and Jack Jones arrive for the performance of “The Bob Hope Memorial Tribute” at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2003. Jack Jones, famous singer, winner of a Grammy Award for the song host of the TV show “The Love Boat” died on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.(AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

In 1980, his theme song for the television show “Love Boat” peaked at number 37 on the Billboard US Adult Contemporary charts. Jones was also a frequent guest on the popular romantic comedy show, where guest stars from Gene Kelly to Janet Jackson came aboard for a cruise and fell in love.

The social media account for “The Ed Sullivan Show,” an American television show that has been on the air for decades, posted on X on Thursday that Jones lit up the show with his smooth vocals and unforgettable performances.

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