|
The gravelly voiced singer who taught many Gen X'ers about "and," "but," and "or" is one Jack Sheldon, jazz singer and trumpeter extraordinaire. Sheldon, an established and accomplished member of the West Coast jazz scene, boasts an impressive discography and list of acting credits. He even starred in his own short-lived series called Run Buddy Run. But it was his work on Schoolhouse Rock that gave Sheldon cult status. Schoolhouse Rock, that series of catchy TV spots that made learning fun,
debuted in the '70s. Ad exec David McCall was trying to find a way to help his 11-year-old son learn the multiplication tables. The boy could memorize lyrics yet couldn't master mathematics, so McCall had the idea of setting lessons to music. The catchy ditties were eventually turned into animated TV spots that ran between Saturday morning cartoons on ABC and taught millions of kids about grammar, math, history, and science. A number of different singers were used for Schoolhouse Rock, but Sheldon provided the distinctive voice heard on some of the most popular, including "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill."
|
