Notable people · Musician · Bandleader · Composer
Isham Jones
Isham Jones was born in Coalton, Jackson County. He led one of the most popular dance bands of the 1920s and wrote standards including It Had to Be You and I'll See You in My Dreams.
At a glance
- Born
- 1894-01-31
- Died
- 1956-10-19
- Known as
- Musician, Bandleader, Composer
- Organizations
- Brunswick Records, Victor Records, Decca Records
Life story
Isham Edgar Jones was born in 1894 in Coalton, Ohio, the son of a violinist. His first song, On the Alamo, was published in 1911.
He moved to Chicago in 1915 and played at the Green Mill and Rainbo Gardens. In 1917 he wrote We're in the Army Now. His band made discs for Brunswick from 1920 to 1925 and Wabash Blues was a million-seller in 1921. Between 1922 and 1925 he had eight number-one hits.
He toured England in 1925, moved to New York in 1932 and signed with Victor and then Decca. In 1936 his orchestra was taken over by Woody Herman. He later lived on a poultry farm in Colorado and died in Florida in 1956.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and It Had to Be You entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.
Timeline
- 1894-01-31: Born (Coalton, OH) source
- 1911: First song published source
- 1915: Moves to Chicago (Chicago, IL) source
- 1917: Writes We're in the Army Now source
- 1921: Wabash Blues sells a million source
- 1925: Tours England source
- 1932: Moves to New York (New York, NY) source
- 1936: His orchestra is taken over by Woody Herman source
- 1956-10-19: Dies (Hollywood, FL) source
What Isham is known for
- Eight number-one hits between 1922 and 1925
- Wrote It Had to Be You and I'll See You in My Dreams
- Wrote We're in the Army Now (1917)
- It Had to Be You
- I'll See You in My Dreams
- Swingin' Down the Lane
- We're in the Army Now
Honors and things named for them
- Songwriters Hall of Fame (1989)
- Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1989)
- Grammy Hall of Fame: It Had to Be You (2007)
Family
- father: Richard Isham Jones
Ohio places
Where Isham Jones was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Coalton, Jackson County ZIP 45621 · Coalton · Jackson County
- Buried: Glendale, CA, Los Angeles (California) County (Forest Lawn Memorial Park)
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Isham Jones birth, band career, songs, honors, burial