And then along came Jones

Shane Gammon

Friday, Jan. 9, 1998 | 9:34 a.m.

Las Vegas and Atlantic City favorite, Jack Jones, will kick off this year's entertainment for The Orleans hotel-casino's showroom at 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday.

This singer loves music.

Jones has produced more than 50 albums, 17 of which have climbed to Billboard's Top 20 List. He has also received a Grammy award for best male performance for his songs "Lollipops and Roses" and "Wives and Lovers."

But Jones' career has been more varied than that, taking him from Hollywood to the Broadway stage to television. He has starred in the Broadway hits "Guys and Dolls" and "South Pacific," but his voice may be most familiar to fans of TV's "The Love Boat" -- Jones crooned the theme song ("Love, exciting and new; come aboard, we're expecting you ...").

His other hits include "Love with the Proper Stranger," "Where Love Has Gone," "Ticklish Affair," "This World is Yours," "Life is What You Make It" and "Anzio."

Because of his popular past on the tube, Jones has created a demand for his television appearances in the '90s. He's been seen on "The Kennedy Center Honors," "The World's Best Love Songs" and "Christmas In Washington," an annual special originating from the White House.

Jones can also be considered a singer's singer, as his music is appreciated by his peers. Mel Torme described Jones as "the greatest pure singer in the world," Michael Legrand considers Jones to be "my singer" and Frank Sinatra called Jones "one of the major singers of our time."

Tickets for the Jack Jones concerts are $24.95, plus tax, and may be purchased at The Orleans box office. For more information, call 365-7111.