October 25, 2024 – by Chris Malone Méndez for MEN’S JOURNAL

He earned several number-one singles in his day.

Grammy-winning singer Jack Jones, the voice behind the theme song of the hit TV show The Love Boat, has died at the age of 86.

Jones died Oct. 23 at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California. According to The Associated Press, the singer had been battling leukemia for more than two years.

Hailing from a show business family, Jones got his start as a singer in the 1950s and secured his first recording contract in 1959, going on to release his first album that year. He quickly became a name in the industry, earning Grammy Award wins for his 1961 single “Lollipops and Roses” and 1963’s “Wives and Lovers.” More than three decades later, he earned another Grammy nomination for his 1998 album Jack Jones Paints a Tribute to Tony Bennett. He received a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989.

The Love Boat first began airing in 1977 and featured Jones singing the theme song for eight seasons. The track reached number 37 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1980. He also notched number-one easy listening singles with “The Race is On” in 1965, “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)” from Man of La Mancha in 1966, and “Lady” in 1967. In addition to lending his talents to The Love Boat as a singer, Jones often appeared on the show itself, which frequently highlighted guests aboard the titular cruise ship falling in love.

Jones is survived by his wife Eleanora.