Dennis Day

Dennis Day (1916-1988) was a singer who gained fame on radio as the resident vocalist (and a key supporting regular) on The Jack Benny Program. During his fifteen years on the series (apart from an interruption for naval service during World War II), he developed into a comedian as well. Dennis Day's persona was that of a perpetually naive Irish tenor who often veered into sheer insanity, driving Jack Benny nuts. He'd also break from his usually cheerful tone to interject blunt insults ("My mother hates you, you know," "Feh!") or dark comments ("I'm committing suicide.") He also displayed a facility for dialects, impersonations (including Ronald Colman and Jerry Colonna), and character voices (mostly old men).
While continuing to work with Benny into the TV era, Day had his own breakout sitcoms on radio and the small screen (the latter opposite Cliff Arquette as Charley Weaver). His recording career included hits such as "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" and "Christmas in Killarney," traditional Irish tunes such as "Danny Boy" and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," and comedic dialect numbers like "Clancy Lowered the Boom." 
Appearing occasionally in films (with Benny or in musicals), Day put his voice to use in Walt Disney's Melody Time (in a triple role, using his standard voice as Johnny Appleseed, his oldtimer voice as his angel, and a third straighter voice as the narrating settler). He was also heard in two Rankin/Bass specials and typecast as the voice of an Irish leprechaun on an episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 
==References==
* "The Corn Keeps A-Growin," the B side to Day's 1951 single "Christmas in Killarney," was transcribed for use on Sam and Friends on July 14, 1955.Shemin, Craig. Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show. In keeping with the title, Day sang a series of comedic tongue twisters and corny jokes (such as how when the romance between Anna and Abe faltered, "Abe and Anna split.") 
==Notes==
* While not direct references, Bean Bunny on The Jim Henson Hour continued the Dennis Day comedy tradition of the naive cheerful character suddenly going dark or blunt. The trait was also periodically exhibited by Janice on The Muppets Mayhem.
==Sources==
 
==External links==
*Discogs.com listing
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Category:Musical References