Jack Haskell

John Thomas Haskell (April 30, 1919 – September 26, 1998) was an American singer, announcer, and Broadway performer whose career spanned radio, television, and the stage across several decades. Born in Akron, Ohio, he was raised in Cleveland and went on to study music at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

While still a college student, Haskell performed on two Chicago radio stations, WBBM and WGN, and took on commercial work for The Fitch Bandwagon. His radio career expanded over the years to include regular appearances on Varieties, Stop the Music, Music from the Heart of America, The Jim Backus Show, and The Peter Lind Hayes Show. He later served as one of the hosts of Monitor.

Following his graduation, Haskell sang with Les Brown and his orchestra, contributing vocals to a number of recordings for Columbia Records between 1946 and 1947, among them It Couldn't Be True, In Love in Vain, and Beware My Heart. He was also the first vocalist signed by Thunderbird Record Company when it launched in 1955, appearing on the label's debut release, I Remember Mambo, backed with Who Can Say. Additional recordings included a solo album, Jack Swings for Jack (Paar), released on the Strand label, and a cover cast album of Destry Rides Again on RCA Camden (CAL 540).

During World War II, Haskell served in the United States Navy, first as a flight instructor at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and subsequently as a Naval Air Transport Service pilot flying R5D transport planes throughout the Pacific Theater. It was during his time at Corpus Christi that he married Doris Lee Dahme; the couple had a son, Thomas. After Doris died at age 57, Haskell later married Helen. Following his discharge from the Navy, he co-owned a cattle ranch in Cuero, Texas before relocating to Chicago to join television pioneer Dave Garroway.

Haskell's move from Chicago to New York City came when he joined Garroway for the inaugural iteration of the Today program. His television work extended to a wide range of programs, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Jack Paar Show, The Garry Moore Show, The Bell Telephone Hour, The Mike Douglas Show, Garroway at Large, The Dave Garroway Show, Of All Things, Stop the Music, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Later in his career he also performed in supper clubs.

On Broadway, Haskell appeared in the 1962 production of Mr. President, in which he played the role of Pat Gregory. He remained active in stage work beyond Broadway, participating in summer stock productions including Gypsy in 1970.

Outside of his professional life, Haskell pursued offshore racing sailing and amateur photography. He died on September 26, 1998, at the Actors Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, New Jersey.