Jack Sharpe

Who was Jack Sharpe?

John Rufus Sharpe III, known as Jack Sharpe, was an American songwriter, music publishing executive and author. He is best known for "So Rare", published in 1937, which he wrote with composer Jerry Herst.

Sharpe was born in Berkeley, California, United States, the first of two children of John Rufus Sharpe, Jr. and Regina Franvell Walshe. Although his father was not known to be musically inclined, that was not the case with his mother. She achieved some local renown for her operatic singing and she passed her love of music to her son. Sharpe was distantly related to the singer and entertainer Judy Canova.

"So Rare" was a #2 hit in 1957 for Jimmy Dorsey, but it has been recorded by numerous artists including Carl Ravell and his Orchestra, Gus Arnheim and his Coconut Grove Orchestra, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Conniff. Sharpe and Herst have four collaborations listed at the performing rights organisation ASCAP, including "So Rare", and a number of other Herst-Sharpe songs are listed at the US Copyright Office.

Sharpe wrote the lyrics to "The Dream Peddler's Serenade", composed by Johnny Mercer and recorded by Margaret Whiting.