Jack Prince

Jack Prince, born John Trevathian Upchurch Jr. on January 19, 1920, in Shreveport, Louisiana, was a singer and occasional actor who built a career spanning Broadway, nightclubs, and television. He adopted the professional name Jack Prince by incorporating his mother's maiden name. Prince died on January 8, 1994, in Las Vegas and is buried at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands, California.

During World War II, Prince served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in France, where he organized a band called The Chowhounds. Following his discharge, he joined the Shep Fields band as a vocalist before transitioning to nightclub engagements. His club appearances included Colosimo's Cafe in Chicago, Alan Gale's Celebrity Club in Miami, and Billy Gray's Band Box in Hollywood.

Prince's Broadway career ran from 1950 to 1959 and encompassed three productions. He served as a replacement actor for the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls during its 1950 to 1953 run. Beginning in 1956, he worked as understudy and replacement for the role of Marryin' Sam in Li'l Abner. His final Broadway appearance came in the 1959 to 1960 production of Destry Rides Again, in which he played the role of Wash alongside Andy Griffith, who led the cast.

On television, Prince made an early appearance on the July 25, 1954 episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour. From June 30, 1955, to March 29, 1956, he served as the male vocalist on the CBS variety program The Johnny Carson Show. From 1963 to 1964, he sang with the Harry James Band.

Griffith, recalling their collaboration on Destry Rides Again, invited Prince to appear on The Andy Griffith Show after it launched. During the first season, Prince played three separate characters: Ben Sewell in the January 30, 1961 episode Alcohol and Old Lace, Luke Rainer in the April 10, 1961 episode The Inspector, and an unnamed rummage sale customer in the April 21, 1961 episode Andy Forecloses. In seasons two and three, he portrayed farmer and moonshiner Rafe Hollister in three episodes: Sheriff Barney on December 25, 1961, The County Nurse on March 19, 1962, and Rafe Hollister Sings on February 11, 1963. Although Griffith sought to include him in further episodes, Prince declined, citing concerns that continued acting commitments would limit his singing opportunities. The role of Rafe Hollister became the performance most closely associated with his name. In September 1991, Prince reprised the character on TNN's Nashville Now, appearing alongside Hal Smith, who had played Otis Campbell on The Andy Griffith Show, in a jail skit. During the appearance, Prince performed The Lonesome Road, a song featured in the Rafe Hollister Sings episode.