from 2007
Jay Meyer
talks about his career including "The Jack Benny Show," The Haunted Mansion, and Disneyland's "Golden Horseshoe Revue"

by Scott Wolf

I was so excited to interview Jay Meyer, as I had never met him. He was a performer in my favorite show, Disneyland's "Golden Horseshoe Revue," and he is a singing statue in the Haunted Mansion attraction. He sings "Grim Grinning Ghosts." He even has a one line spoken solo, "Starts to shriek!" But, Jay's career extended far past Disney.

Jay appeared in countless television shows with people such as Ed Sullivan, Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and many others. He sang in the chorus of films including "The Sound of Music" and "Bye Bye Birdie," and was the singing voice for one of the brothers in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." He sang onstage at the Hollywood Bowl with Sammy Davis, Jr., Ray Charles and others, and toured with Allan Sherman, Ray Conniff, Woody Herman, and Spike Jones. In short, he had a REMARKABLE career!

When I first met Jay, from the moment he opened the door, he had an unparalleled warmth and charm and made me feel so welcome. We chatted, he sang a little and even played the flute for me. By the end, I was so grateful for our time together.

I was saddened by Jay's passing on January 18, 2009, and treasure the few times I had with him. Please enjoy this tribute for this remarkable entertainer!

Scott Wolf: When did you first start singing?

Jay Meyer: I was born in Web City, Missouri, and I've been singing ever since I was about five or six. I sang in churches and didn't think much about it. I was always singing, though. I also played the trumpet.

In high school, I was too little to play football so I was the cheerleader.

SW: Were you really?

JM: Yeah, I was the only one! I did cheers. I'd tell everyone we've got to do a big cheer. I couldn't do it alone so I'd get them all doing it. We never did have girls doing it. It was just me. I was up getting everybody to do it. I had a ball.

SW: How did you become a singer?

JM: My brother lived in St. Louis and he was an entertainer on radio and I would go up and do his shows and I'd sing.

In 1941, I wasn't making much money and I was just out high school so I saw the poster (of Uncle Sam) pointing that said, "I want you!" and I said, "Well, I'll go in and talk," and that's what I did. I actually joined the Marine Corps. I had to wait a couple of days because they had to call my mom because I was only eighteen. I really didn't want to get in it as much as I wanted a free ride.

Then the war started and after a few months we went down to New Zealand and we stayed there for nine months. We were in Wellington and I was doing shows.

SW: Oh, you were doing shows in the Marines?

JM: Yeah, we played all over. I did shows all over New Zealand.

I was young and enjoyed entertaining. I was on the radio, we had radio for the Marine Corps, and I left as soon as the war ended.

Instead of going back to Missouri I stopped in L.A. and I got into USC and I started singing with Spike Jones (band).

SW: I love Spike Jones!

JM: Then I got into the Jack Benny show. I really walked right into it.

SW: I know you were one of the Sportsmen Quartet.

JM: Yeah, we sang all of the commercial spots. The quartet was already on the show and they needed someone so I said, "Sure!"

SW: You sang all kinds of parodies of songs...

JM: Yeah, they were all the Lucky Strike (cigarettes) commercials. We did all sorts of things.

SW: Was it enjoyable to do the show?

JM: Oh heavens, yes.

SW: What was Jack like?

JM: He was just sensational. He was very nice. We'd go to his house and we'd rehearse there.

After that my wife and I went to New York and I was working all the time.

SW: Did you have an agent?

JM: Yeah, I had an agent. I was busy and I went and did summer stock. We did a lot of shows.

SW: Stage shows?

JM: Yeah, sometimes you'd do two or three parts. They'd run for a week, and while they were running we were getting ready to do another one. We had about eight or nine. My wife was there with me but she didn't want to stay in New York so we came back to California. I loved New York, though. New York is gorgeous.

SW: Was she a performer?

JM: No, but she did work in the business. We were married for fifty seven years. We were married until she passed away.

It was a great life with her. We had a big house in La Tuna Canyon and had horses and everything.

SW: How did you two meet?

JM: My brother was in Fresno at the time and he was in radio and he was a singer and she worked at the radio station. So we had a date on a Friday and Friday night I told her I was serious. Saturday I said, “We'll get married.”

SW: She was supportive of you being in show business?

JM: Yeah, she was, too. She worked on the shows. She worked for everybody.

SW: I know you were a regular on the “Tennessee Ernie Ford Show” and the "Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show"?
(Pictured right with Phil Harris)

JM: Sure, we did that at the same time.

SW: With the quartet?

JM: Yeah, on the Phil Harris show. We'd do Jack Benny at CBS and go right over to NBC. They were both on Sunset.

SW: Wow, you did two shows in the same day?

JM: Live, too.

SW: Do you remember any time when something didn't go as planned on the air?

JM: One time, we always did the LSM... LSM...LSMFFFFFF.... (He sings a Lucky Strike commercial for me.)

HEAR JAY SING IN 2007:


HEAR JAY SING IN 1951:


SW: And that was LSMFT?

JM: "Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco." We did that every week if you can imagine.

SW: They were not easy. I've heard a lot of them, tongue twisters and everything.

JM: That was so many years ago, Lucky Strike doesn't even exist anymore.

SW: Did you do the Jack Benny television show as well?

JM: Sure, I did it all.

SW: So you were about to say that one of those songs didn't go as planned?

JM: Yes, we were going to do the LSMFT and we were ready. We got the pitch out in the hall and we walked in. Mahlon Merrick was the (Musical) Director and gave the cue, and the band was doing one thing and we were off. We were off and the band was the other way. Then Jack shouts, "Wait a minute! Hold it! Hold it!" All we could do is walk out. The next week Jack says to Don, "Where are the boys?" He says, "We've got them in the other room and they can't do it." Jack says, "Oh, come on!"

SW: So originally you really messed up and it was written in the following week's program that you'd try again?

JM: The next two weeks we were doing it. They were such good writers.

SW: And Jack could never keep a straight face on the air, right?

JM: He loved it and he'd break up. He'd do that even on Saturday when we did our reading. Something would just get him and he'd break up.

SW: When did your association with Disney start?

JM: I'd just get a call to go in, do a job, and get out.

SW: Somewhere along the way you ended up being one of the singing statues in the Haunted Mansion.

JM: We did that over at the studio. I'd do things for them, but I never knew why we were going to do it.

SW: I understand you had your head in like a harness while you sang.

JM: Yes, so you couldn’t move it. I just remember we did all the recording. I think I'm the only one still alive.

SW: You worked with Thurl Ravenscroft on that?

JM: We recorded together on a lot of stuff.

SW: Some people think that it's the Mellomen quartet in the Mansion, but you were not with the Mellomen, right?

JM: I was one of the Sportsmen and they had their group. We had some awful good stuff and they did, too.

SW: And then you just sang together for the Mansion?

JM: Yes, but I did a lot for Disney... we all did.

SW: I just learned that you even sang in the “Step in Time” number in “Mary Poppins.”

JM: Then for years I did the show.

SW: You mean “The Golden Horseshoe Revue”?

JM: Yeah.

SW: My favorite! I loved that show!

JM: I did it a lot, but Fulton Burley was the one who did it for a really long time.

SW: I know you were his sub, but you did it quite a lot.

JM: For fourteen years. I was working all the time, but periodically I'd get another job, I went to Europe for a couple of weeks, and they'd say, "Okay,"  and they had another sub, but it worked out quite well. 

SW: What was Fulton like?

JM: He was a DELIGHTFUL man, and a good entertainer! Magnificent! I never tried to be him. I just tried to be me.

Jay in Disneyland's "Golden Horseshoe Revue"

SW: Yeah, I know that even though you were doing the same part you each had your own routines. He sang, "Clancy Lowered the Boom" and you did the whole Irish medley with "It's a Great Day for the Irish," and "Too Ra Loo Ral."

JM: Yeah, I started in '72 for six weeks and when I finished they said, "We need you… take a little bit longer." Next thing you know I was on for fourteen years.

It was a delightful time.

SW: Did you enjoy working with Wally Boag?

JM: Oh, sure. I marveled at his comedy.

SW: And you also worked with Dick Hardwick (who replaced Wally when he retired)?

JM: Oh, yes. He was delightful. He's a good comedian and a good musician and we've remained great friends.

SW: And every time you'd see it, it didn't seem like you had been doing it for years and years. You always seemed like you were having so much fun.

JM: I think everybody did.

In 2007, I was involved in a tribute for the Golden Horseshoe's Fulton Burley and I asked Jay if he would like to sing "Too Ra Loo Ral" one more time. He immediately agreed, even though he was no longer performing and hadn't sung publicly for years.

Jay was not a young man, and he seemed frail. Although he sang the song thousands of times in the Horseshoe, he was not remembering the lyrics. I knew this would be the last time that Jay would sing in public, and I prayed that all would go well, but I knew this was an audience of people who worked with Jay and loved him. 

When Jay approached the podium and started singing, he was a natural! The smile that came across his face let me know I did the right thing. He sang flawlessly and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. His song concluded to a rousing standing ovation.

I present for you here, a video of that performance, October 29, 2007:

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in the interviews are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mouse Clubhouse. Mouse Clubhouse accepts no legal liability or responsibility for any claims made or opinions expressed within.