06/04/2018
Dear Square dancers & callers...
There's rarely a square dance that goes by without hearing some of the great music by Legendary caller and musician Jack Berg who owned Chicago country, cross country, Gaslight, nickel records and Chantilly rounds labels.
Jack and his son Jimmy were amazing with the music they played on all those patters and singing calls. His biggest sellers were probably "Beautiful Noise", "I'm Ready to Go" and almost every Christmas you'll hear his version of "Feliz Navidad" either as a singing call or a round dance. Jack's music was so uplifting with that Chicago brass and the Dixieland/Ragtime feel. Some other great songs with quite lively that he put out like "Hello My Baby", "Darktown Strutters Ball", "I Got Rhythm", and "When the Saints Go Marching In" should be in every square dance callers repertoire.
Jack was one helluva drummer too!
If I'm not mistaken, Jack was the emcee for the Palomino tape service for a good while until the late great Tom Dillander took over.
Jack is a fellow cartoonist, history buff, and caller buddy of mine who gave me my first chance almost 25 years ago to record my first singing call, and I am forever grateful.
SADLY, JACK BERG IS NOT DOING WELL. 😢
He is in a nursing home and has Alzheimer's disease.🕇
PLEASE, if you'd like to send a card to the family forward it to :
The Bergs
402 South Bench
Galena, IL
60631
Prayers are also welcome and encouraged.
Jack did so very much for our square dance activity especially in the Chicago area. I've been in contact with his son Jimmy who has giving me permission to make this post public. Jack was a talented artist musician and Dancer and a comedian as well.
Jack also wrote his own square dance calls one I still use every once in awhile called 'meet a friend' is a lot of fun.
(If you've been in our activity for a good while you'll remember the Boy George/ Culture Club parody he did with Bob Poyner, "Where's the Dress?" What a fun and funny record.)
