- Born
- Died
- Jay has a very extensive biography. He started out with the Sportmen's Quartet on the air with Jack Benny, Phil Harris-Alice Faye, Your show of Shows, Ed Sullivan, Bob Hope specials, Danny Kaye, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Carol Burnet, Red Skelton, Hollywood Palace, Cinderella, Pied Piper of Hamelin, Christmas with Conniff, Maud and Phillis (theme), Prime Target, Days of our Lives are just a few of the Radio and TV work that Jay has done. As for films he has done Annie get your Gun, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad,Mad World, Pigeons of Rome, Judgement at Nurenberg, Dirty Dozen, The Longest Yard, Hustle, Choir Boys, King of the Mountain and All the Marbles. Plus many others as a Studio Vocalist. He has also worked with the following vocal groups: Skylarks, Sportment Quartet, Ray Conniff Singers, Johnny Mann Singers, Pied Pipers and The Sunnysiders.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Evelyn Meyer-Carey
- Born on May 20, 1923 in Webb City, Missouri to Pearl Gibbs and Joseph Meyer, Jay was one of four children (two brothers named Derwood & Al and one sister named Juanita). When he was 18 years old Jay left home and enlisted in the Marine Corp on July 24, 1941. Serving four years of duty, he fought the Japanese on Solomon Island and was also stationed in Guadalcanal and the Hawaiian Islands. He was discharged on September 24, 1945 in sunny Southern California. While attending USC he got a job working in the mail room at Paramount Studios. One day while delivering some mail on his bicycle he stopped to watch a group singing during rehearsals. As he sat mesmerized by the vocals of this group, someone asked him if he knew how to sing, startled Jay said "yes". The name of the group was "The Sportsmen Quartet". Jay auditioned for them; they asked him to come back which he did. However, when they asked him back a third time Jay said "Hell no" either I have the job or not! That is how Jay started his singing career. Touring with the Sportmen enabled Jay to do a variety of shows such as the "Jack Benny Radio & Television shows and the Phil Harris Radio Show. Along the way Jay met his future wife, Tommye at KMJ Radio Station in Fresno, California. He dated her for 6 weeks, married her and they were together for over 50 years.
As Jay's journey continued he was fortunate to mingle and sing with some of the greatest entertainers of the time. Ray Conniff, Jack Benny, Danny Kaye and Tennessee Ernie Ford, just to name a few. Among his accomplishments of singing and acting Jay also worked for 13 years at Disneyland in the Golden Horseshoe Revue and also became one of the singing ghosts (busts) in the Haunted Mansion. Jays' singing and acting career continued until his mid-seventies.
He died on January 18, 2009, but will forever live in the heart of his greatest production and beloved daughter Evy, as the singing ghost at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion and as the Toast of the Town for all his friends.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Evelyn Meyer, daughter
- SpouseTommye Meyer(October 20, 1947 - October 22, 2004) (her death, 1 child)
- Also sang with The Skylarks, The Pied Pipers, The Ray Conniff Singers and The Johnny Mann Singers.
- Sang with The Sportsmen Quartet from 1951-1954.
- Is one of the 'Singing Busts' in the Disneyland and Walt Disney World attraction, "The Haunted Mansion".
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