He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was senior class president, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Because of his popularity and enthusiasm as a cheerleader, he was invited by Hal Kemp to take over as bandleader when Kemp ventured north to further his career. He began taking clarinet lessons but was better as an entertaining announcer than a musician.He adopted the initial of his middle name as part of his stage name, for its alliterative effect.
Following graduation, Kyser and his band, which included Sully Mason on saxophone and arranger George Duning, toured Midwest restaurants and night clubs and gradually built a following. They were particularly popular at Chicago's Blackhawk restaurant, where Kyser came up with an act combining a quiz with music which became Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge.
The act was broadcast on the Mutual Radio in 1938 and then moved to NBC Radio from 1939 to 1949. The show rose in the ratings and spawned many imitators. Kyser led the band as “The Ol’ Perfessor,” spouting catch phrases: “That’s right—you’re wrong,” “Evenin’ folks, how y’all?” and “C'mon, chillun! Le's dance!”
Although Kyser and his orchestra gained fame through the Kollege of Musical Knowledge, they were an excellent band in their own right. They had 11 number one records, including some of the most popular songs of the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Jingle Jangle Jingle is a song written by Joseph J. Lilley and Frank Loesser, and published in 1942. It was featured in the film The Forest Rangers, in which it was sung by Dick Thomas.
The most commercially successful recording was by Kay Kyser, whose version reached no. 1 in the Billboard charts in July 1942. Versions were recorded by many other musicians, including Tex Ritter, Gene Autry, Glenn Miller, The Merry Macs and Burl Ives.
The song is used in the 2010 role-playing video game Fallout: New Vegas.
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