Jack Berch
{{Short description|American baritone singer}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jack Berch
| image = Jack Berch and family 1949.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Berch and family in 1949
| birth_name =
| birth_date = August 26, 1907
or August 26, 1911
| birth_place = Sigel, Illinois
| death_date = December 10, 1992
| death_place = Jamaica, New York
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation = Singer
| alma_mater = St. Viator College
| spouse = Margo Orwig
| children = 4
| parents =
| known_for = Radio programs
}}
Jack Berch (August 26, 1907 or 1911Grunwald, Edgar A., Ed. (1940). Variety Radio Directory 1940-1941. Variety, Inc. P. 877. – December 10, 1992) was an American baritone singer best known for his radio variety/talk programsDeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-2834-2}}. P. 30. from 1935 to 1954.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22The+Jack+Berch+Show,+variety%22&pg=PA363 |last=Dunning| first=John| author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) | title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio| date=1998| publisher=Oxford University Press| location=New York, NY| isbn=978-0-19-507678-3| page=363 |section=The Jack Berch Show | edition=Revised| access-date=2019-10-20}}
Early years
Berch was born in Sigel, Illinois, where his father ran a general store. Following his father's death, Berch began working after school as a stock boy in a dry goods store when he was "about 11 years old".{{cite journal|last=Berch|first=Jack|title=This I Believe|journal=Radio and Television Mirror|date=April 1950|volume=33|issue=5|pages=26–27, 104–105|url=https://archive.org/stream/radiotelev00macf#page/n385/mode/1up|accessdate=28 November 2015}} His primary and secondary education came in Effingham, Illinois.{{cite news|title=(untitled brief)|newspaper=Altoona Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3738195/altoona_tribune/|agency=Altoona Tribune|date=March 21, 1950|location=Pennsylvania, Altoona|page=13|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = November 30, 2015}} {{Open access}}
Berch graduated from St. Viator College. During his college years, he was a dishwasher and played drums for a dance band.{{cite journal|last=Alden|first=Ken|title=Facing the Music|journal=Radio Mirror|date=July 1937|volume=8|issue=3|pages=48–49|url=https://archive.org/stream/radio00macf#page/n302/mode/1up|accessdate=27 November 2015}} He later worked as a door-to-door coffee salesman who sang as he approached the door of a house. When one potential customer in Youngstown, Ohio, turned out to be the wife of the manager of radio station WKBN, that led to an audition.
Radio
Berch's first job on radio was at WKBN. He had dual roles as a singer and an announcer, "introducing himself in one voice and singing in another. Then he would thank himself for the performance."{{cite news|title=Jack Berch, Young Veteran Of Air, All-Around Artist|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3743071/the_paris_news/|work=The Paris News|date=May 21, 1939|location=Texas, Paris|page=15|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = December 1, 2015}} {{Open access}}
He also worked at WLW in Cincinnati, WTAM in Cleveland and WOAI in San Antonio.{{cite magazine|title=Births|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e_UDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PA44|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=April 17, 1948|page=44|via=Google Books}}
Berch was the star of The Jack Berch Show, a variety/talk program that was broadcast on ABC, CBS, Mutual and NBC at various times from 1935 to 1954. His programs at times went by other names, including The Kitchen Pirate (1935–36) and The Sweetheart Serenader (1939–1941). A comment published in the trade publication Radio Daily said, "The singing of Berch is particularly well designed to give the day a sunny sendoff."{{cite news|title=Program Reviews and Comments|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Daily/RA-1937/RA-1937-Jul.pdf|accessdate=2 December 2015|work=Radio Daily|date=July 20, 1937|page=6}}{{dead link|date=August 2022}}
At times, he also wrote scripts and worked as an announcer and producer on other people's programs.
Recording
In 1950, Berch signed a contract with RCA Victor to make recordings in both children's and popular music genres.{{cite magazine|title=Music--as Written|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PA18|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=May 27, 1950|page=18|via=Google Books}}
Personal life
Berch was married to the former Margo Orwig.{{cite journal|title=(untitled brief)|journal=Radio and Television Mirror|date=February 1951|volume=35|issue=3|page=74|url=https://archive.org/stream/radiotel00macf#page/n195/mode/1up|accessdate=2 December 2015}} They had a son, Jon, and daughters Carol, Shirley,{{cite journal|last=Berch|first=Jack|title=World Full of Neighbors|journal=Radio and Television Mirror|date=January 1949|volume=31|issue=2|pages=34–35, 83–84|url=https://archive.org/stream/ra00mac#page/n49/mode/2up|accessdate=26 November 2015}} and Mollie.{{cite journal|title=Happy Easter|journal=Radio and Television Mirror|date=April 1948|volume=29|issue=5|page=39|url=https://archive.org/stream/radi00mac#page/n419/mode/1up|accessdate=27 November 2015}}
Death
Berch died on December 10, 1992, in Jamaica, New York.
Partial discography
- Shenanigans/The Greatest Mistake of My Life - 1949 with The Charlie Magnante Trio (London 559){{cite magazine|title=Record Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0UEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PT33|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=December 10, 1949|page=34|via=Google Books}}
- The Letter I Forgot to Mail/Kemo Kimo - 1949 with The Charlie Magnante Trio (Regent 144){{cite magazine|title=Record Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hw4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PT40|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=March 19, 1949|page=40|via=Google Books}}
- Bibbi-Di Bobba-Di Boo/Cinderella - 1950 with The Mullen Sisters and The Charlie Magnante Trio (London 20012){{cite magazine|title=(London Records advertisement)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-fUDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PA31|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=April 15, 1950|page=31|via=Google Books}}
- Sunday School Songs (Parts I & II) - 1950 (Victor 470222){{cite magazine|title=Record Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dkUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PA104|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=October 7, 1950|page=104|via=Google Books}}
- The Teddy Bear's Picnic/Me and My Teddy Bear - 1950 with the Henri René Orchestra (Victor 47–0225){{cite magazine|title=Record Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2x0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PA128|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=October 28, 1950|page=128|via=Google Books}}
- The Little Lost Sheep - 1952 (Bibletone KL 221){{cite magazine|title=Albums and LP Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XB8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Jack+Berch%22&pg=PA88|accessdate=2 December 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=November 22, 1952|page=88|via=Google Books}}
References
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Category:20th-century American musicians
Category:Radio personalities from Illinois
Category:People from Shelby County, Illinois