Jack Lathrop

His parents, Margaret Lathrop (née Margaret Lowell; 1893–1958) and John Marcos Lathrop (1891–1974) were married May 28, 1912, in Manhattan.

John Marcus Lathrop (May 11, 1913 – January 9, 1987) was an American vocalist and guitarist with the Tune Twisters, Glenn Miller, and Hal McIntyre.

According to the 1920 US Census, his mother was divorced; and in 1920, he, his sister Kathryn (1914–1962), and his mother lived with his widowed maternal grandmother, Kittie Isabel Lowell (née Kittie Isabel Purdy; 1863–1938), who owned and ran a private boarding house in White Plains, New York.

Tune Twisters

This song was written by Sunny Skylar and first recorded by vocalist Jack Emerson (né Abraham Jacob Melamerson; 1920–2014) on Metrotone Records, and became the label's best seller.

Gordon MacRae's version was the biggest hit, but Lathrop’s version also fared well.

It was his highest-charting song, reaching a peak of No. 19.

The b-side of this record was "You Call Everybody Darlin", a words and music written by Sam Martin, Ben L. Trace, Clem Watts (pseudonym of Al Trace), and Albert J. Trace.

This song also reached the charts at No. 27.

In the mid 1930s, Lathrop was one of founding members of the Tune Twisters, a swing jazz vocal trio originally composed of Andy Love (1911–1982), Robert Wacker (1909–1985), and himself.

The Tune Twisters were featured on radio broadcasts and also recorded and performed with jazz artists that included Ray Noble in 1935 (with Noble, the Tune Twisters were initially known as "The Freshmen"), Bob Crosby in 1935, Glenn Miller in 1937, and Adrian Rollini in 1938.

The trio also performed in two 1935 films, Sweet Surrender and Melody Magic, directed by Fred Waller.

Big bands

Lathrop performed with the Tune Twisters in the 1937 Broadway production, Between the Devil. They sang the song "Triplets."

The production ran from December 22, 1937 to March 12, 1938 (93 performances).

During the audition, the Tune Twisters were known as the Savoy Club Boys.

Lathrop was a member of the Tune Twisters in 1938 when they recorded the first radio jingle of its kind for Pepsi – "Pepsi-Cola Hits the Spot" (aka "Nickel, Nickel").

Lathrop co-wrote the song "It's Anybody's Moon" with Jimmy Dorsey and Eddie DeLange in 1939.

Dorsey and His Orchestra, with Bob Eberly as vocalist, recorded it February 21, 1939, in New York and Decca released it as a 78 rpm B side single (matrix 65052-A; catalog # 2322).

Glenn Miller

Lathrop was replaced around 1940 by Gene Lanham (né Eugene Prentiss Lanham; 1915–1977).

Lathrop was guitarist and vocalist with Glenn Miller from 1940 to 1942.

While a member, Lathrop composed "Helpless", featuring vocals by Ray Eberle, and "Long Time No See, Baby", featuring vocals by Marion Hutton, which were released as 78rpm singles on RCA.

Jack Lathrop With The Drugstore Cowboys

Lathrop's first release with RCA Victor, the 78 single 20-3109, his first charting hit as a solo artist, was "Hair of Gold" released in 1948.

Beginning around 1947, Lathrop was leader of the Drug Store Cowboys.

Lathrop was born in Sherburne, New York.

These sides had been recorded as a response to the James Petrillo-led Musician’s Union recording ban of 1948.

The instrumentation backing the harmonizing vocalists was limited to harmonicas, jug-blowers, and ukuleles.

Despite the limited instrumentation (or perhaps because of it) Billboard reviewed both sides as "excellent."

Jack Lathrop and His Orchestra

The second RCA release (catalog 20-3199) was “Dainty Brenda Lee,” which received a rating of "excellent" from Billboard.

"Corn Belt Symphony" was placed on the other side of the 78rpm disc.

This song was cited as both an "Operators Pick" (peaking at No. 2) and “Retailers Pick” (peak No. 6) for several weeks in late 1948 in Billboard, but despite the reviews and large marketing support from RCA, the disc had limited commercial impact.

Eve Young and Jack Lathrop

His next release for RCA was "My Darling, My Darling", a duet with Eve Young.

The song was from the 1948 Broadway musical, Where's Charley?. Lathrop and Young's version garnered negative reviews from Billboard and the New York Times, but it reached the Juke Box charts at No. 26.

Yet, in 1949, Billboard ranked it No. 5 in its "Honor Roll of Hits" for the week ending January 21, 1949.

Jack Lathrop with the Drugstore Cowboys and Orchestra

The success of the RCA recordings prompted Jack to hire Frank Hanshaw as a manager, and to go on tour with a trio consisting guitar, accordion, and bass.