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Draft:Jason Mershon

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  • Comment: "in popular culture" has no citations. Why does "online dating" have an external link? Please wikilink it instead, since it leads to a wikipedia article. Several potentially controversial claims are not sourced, like "The newspaper remained a successful business for twenty-five years, however, with the advent of the internet and proliferation of video and online dating services in the 1990’s, the National Singles Register published its last issue in 1996." ABG (Talk/Report any mistakes here) 12:38, 17 October 2024 (UTC)
Jason Mershon
Jason Mershon in 2016
Born
Jay Jeffrey Mershon

February 24, 1951
Chicago, Illinois
Other namesLegs Hunter, JJ Breeze
Years active1969 - present

Jason Mershon is an American entrepreneur and entertainer whose career has included being a newspaper editor and publisher, nightclub promoter, and producer of beauty pageants and rock and roll concerts in the 1970s and 1980s. He is also recognized as a singer and songwriter, having written the book, music and lyrics for the musical comedy, Heaven Rocks, later re-titled Rock and Roll Heaven - The Musical Comedy, which he produced and directed in the 1990s through the early 2000s.[1][2]Mershon is the subject of the biographical series A Baby Boomer’s Last Stand: A True Story of a Novel Life from Truman to Trump, by author Jon Alexander Young published from 2020 to 2024.[3][4][5]

Early life

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Mershon was born Jay Jeffery Mershon in Chicago, Illinois in 1951. At the age of five, he moved with his family to Los Angeles. He graduated from Lakewood High School in in 1968. In 1969, he relocated to Las Vegas, adopted the first name "Jason", and enrolled at the University of Nevada (UNLV), where he studied law, journalism, and political science. After receiving a high draft lottery number in 1970, exempting him from military service during the Vietnam War, he chose to leave UNLV.[4]

Career

[edit]
Singles News Register

In 1971, Mershon began writing an entertainment column and selling advertising for the Las Vegas Star Magazine. During that period, he performed with local music groups and entered talent contests. He had the opportunity to join a reformed version of the 1960’s band The Box Tops, which was being reassembled by a management company that had acquired the rights to the group's name, and first performed under the music stage name of JJ Breeze.[4][6][7][8]

In the early 1970's, Mershon launched the Singles News Register, a California-based newspaper catering to single adults. Initially distributed within the state, the publication featured personal ads, dating advice, and events at a time before online matchmaking existed. It was among the first publications to focus exclusively on classified personal ads for dating.[9] In 1975, the newspaper was rebranded as the National Singles News Register[4][10] and continued to be published into the late 1980's.[9][11][12]

Mershon expanded his work in entertainment by launching Steppin' Out Productions, which included roles as a nightclub promoter and producer of beauty pageants.[2][9][11][13] Mershon's most well-known and controversial promotion was the "Miss Legs America Pageant" which took place throughout the early 1980's in high-profile nightclubs across the United States. Venues included The Limelight in Atlanta, Tramps Disco in Washington DC, Paul Anka’s Jubilation Disco in Las Vegas, and Gazzarri’s in Hollywood, and Zelda’s Nightclub in Palm Springs.[6][14] Using the stage name "Legs Hunter", Mershon emceed the events, which drew lively crowds and media attention.[7][15] [16]

In January 1984, a controversy occurred during a pageant at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, when the contestants protested the non-delivery of promised prizes, which led to Mershon’s brief arrest and coverage in national press outlets with sensationalized headlines.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Charges were later dropped when the issue was clarified as a delay in the mail.[25][26][27] Later that same year, Mershon produced a documentary titled "Legs Across America" which chronicled the pageant tour, including the controversies.[28][29][16]

Musical and Theatrical Productions

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In the early 1990s, Mershon returned to music and recorded the album Memories of a Legs Man under his previous music stage name JJ Breeze.[30] During this period, he also produced and promoted dozens of concerts featuring classic rock bands and artists like Eric Burdon, Foghat, Robbie Krieger, The Marshal Tucker Band, and War.[31][32][13][33]

In 1994, Mershon wrote, produced, and directed the musical comedy Heaven Rocks that featured portrayals of deceased rock legends interacting with historical and biblical figures in Heaven.[34] The show combined fictionalized elements of rock and roll history with live performances and was later renamed Rock and Roll Heaven: The Musical Comedy. The musical premiered in Palm Springs before touring intermittently to other cities until 2001.[1][2][35][36][37][38][39]

In 2002, Mershon produced a soundtrack album of his musical, Heaven Rocks: A Wild Night in Rock and Roll Heaven.[40] When Heaven Rocks was staged and re-titled Rock and Roll Heaven: The Musical Comedy in 2006, Mershon's musical won "Stage Musical of the Year" and "Best Original Soundtrack" at the 16th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards.[41]

Other Ventures

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Mershon owned and operated Jason’s Nightclub and Harbor Nights Restaurant in San Diego, California which he opened in 1997, and owned and continued to perform as JJ Breeze alongside many well-known musical artists into the late 1990s and early 2000s.[42][43] His final appearance onstage as JJ Breeze was in 2003 at Sycuan Casino in San Diego with the Classic Rock All-Stars, performing alongside famed rock stars, Peter Rivera from Rare Earth, Jerry Corbetta from Sugarloaf, Mike Pinera from Blues Image and Iron Butterfly and Spencer Davis from The Spencer Davis Group.[44][45]

Beyond his entertainment endeavors, Mershon also spent time as a professional poker player throughout the 2000s.[46] He wrote the song "Playin’ Poker for a Livin’" as JJ Breeze which received attention in the poker community and internet blogs in 2010.[47][48][49]

[edit]

Mershon's life and career are chronicled in the book series, A Baby Boomer’s Last Stand: A True Story of a Novel Life from Truman to Trump, authored by Jon Alexander Young. The three volumes of books, published between 2020 and 2024, detail Mershon's experiences from 1951 to 2019 along the with the cultural changes in America during those years.[3][4][5][31]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Rock N' Roll Heaven". LA Music Awards. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  2. ^ a b c Sanderson, Darcy (November 4, 2010). "Parody-Okee Something New for Musical Renaissance Man". Desert Star Weekly via Newsbank.com. Palm Springs, California. pp. 11, 16.
  3. ^ a b Young, Jon Alexander (2022). A Baby Boomer's Last Stand: The Prologue. Las Vegas, Nevada: Empire Publishing (published July 15, 2022). ISBN 979-8-8403-7405-4.
  4. ^ a b c d e Young, Jon Alexander (2024). A Baby Boomer's Last Stand - Volume One: The First Stand (2nd ed.). Las Vegas, Nevada: Empire Publishing (published June 5, 2024). pp. 12, 70–71, 130–136, 200–223, 408–409. ISBN 979-8-6983-5356-0.
  5. ^ a b Young, Jon Alexander (2021). A Baby Boomer's Last Stand - Volume Two: The Second Stand. Las Vegas, Nevada: Empire Publishing (published March 14, 2021). ISBN 979-8721-65716-0.
  6. ^ a b "Just Sing the Hits - When Bands (Barely) Reunite | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  7. ^ a b Sanderson, Darcy (November 4, 2010). "Parody-Okee Something New for Musical Renaissance". Desert Star Weekly via Newsbank.com. Palm Springs, California. pp. 11, 16.
  8. ^ Vineberg, Andy. "Name's the same, but the band isn't". PhillyBurbs. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  9. ^ a b c Cameron, Catherine; Oskamp, Stuart; Sparks, William (1977). "Courtship American Style: Newspaper Ads". The Family Coordinator. 26 (1): 27–30. doi:10.2307/581857. ISSN 0014-7214. JSTOR 581857.
  10. ^ "NATIONAL Singles Register". The Best Of Blondie. 1989-10-20. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  11. ^ a b Christian, Susan (September 30, 1988). "Man Who Likes to 'Get People Together' Starts New Paper". Los Angeles Times. pp. 5 (Orange County Life section). Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "'Singles Register' A Publication with an Eligible Appeal - Independent Press-Telegram July 22, 1972". Independent. 1973-07-22. p. 21. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  13. ^ a b "'Steppin' Out' Set to Open NightClub - Palm Desert Post, Palm Desert, CA, Mar. 20, 1991". Palm Desert Post. 1991-03-20. p. 42. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  14. ^ Ortuno, Denise (May 30, 2018). "Zelda's Nightclub to be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Venue". Coachella Valley Weekly. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ^ Young, Jon Alexander (2021). A Baby Boomer's Last Stand - Volume Two: The Second Stand. Las Vegas, Nevada: Empire Publishing (published March 14, 2021). ISBN 979-8721-65716-0.
  16. ^ a b "Leg Contest Spurs Wave of Letters, The Burlington Free Press, Vermont, Oct 27, 1983". The Burlington Free Press. 1983-10-27. p. 33. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  17. ^ "'Miss Legs' Pageant Mixup Sparks 'Lynch Mob' Scene - Intelligencer Journal, PA, Jan 10, 1984". Intelligencer Journal. 1984-01-10. p. 28. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  18. ^ "Angry Beauties No Prizes Delivered; Promoter Surrounded - The Pensacola News (AP), FL, Jan 10, 1984". The Pensacola News. 1984-01-10. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  19. ^ "A Losing Gam-bit, Promoter Charged with Defrauding Winners of 'Legs' Contest - Jan. 9, 1984, pg. 4". Philadelphia Daily News. 1984-01-09. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  20. ^ "A Losing Gam-bit (continued from pg. 4), Jan. 9, 1984, pg. 10". Philadelphia Daily News. 1984-01-09. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  21. ^ "Day in Jail Saves Promoter from 'Miss Legs' Hopefuls". The Evening Sun. 1984-01-09. p. 26. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  22. ^ Sapatkin, Don (1984-01-09). "'Miss Legs' Promoter Finds Himself Out on a Limb". The Morning News. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  23. ^ Sapatkin, Don (1984-01-09). "'Legs' Promoter Finds Himself Out on a Limb (continued from pg. 1 - Jan. 9, 1984". The Morning News. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  24. ^ "Miss Legs Promoter Hopes to Clear Name". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1984-01-17. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  25. ^ "He Really Didn't Pull Their Legs - Philadelphia Daily News, Jan. 18, 1984, pg. 6". Philadelphia Daily News. 1984-01-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  26. ^ "'Mr. Legs': Late Mail Had Me Out on a Limb - January 10, 1983, Philadelphia Daily News". Philadelphia Daily News. 1984-01-10. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  27. ^ "Finishing Kick Mars Contest". The Morning News. 1984-01-12. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  28. ^ "Legs Across America" (Video). 1985. Retrieved 2024-08-17 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ "Legs Across America" - Part 2 (Video). 1985. Retrieved 2024-08-17 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ Memories of a Legs Man, 2022-11-01, retrieved 2024-08-17
  31. ^ a b Young, Jon Alexander (2022). A Baby Boomer's Last Stand: The Prologue. Las Vegas, Nevada: Empire Publishing (published July 15, 2022). pp. 278–282. ISBN 979-8-8403-7405-4.
  32. ^ "More Desert Concerts Planned, Gershwin Promotor Gearing Up - Palm Desert Post, Sep. 27, 1989". Palm Desert Post. 1989-09-27. p. 36. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  33. ^ Fessier, Bruce (1991-05-15). "Post-Concert Birthday Bash Celebrates Preservation of Ex-Animal". The Desert Sun. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  34. ^ "More Soul, Please, at 'Heaven' Confab - Los Angeles Times, Theater Beat, June 20, 2006". The Los Angeles Times. 2006-06-30. p. 80. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  35. ^ Glaser, Blair (April 8, 1996). "UPDATE: Los Angeles Theatre News". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  36. ^ "Heaven to Rock n Roll at Riverside Carlos O'Brien's - Perris Progress, Perris, CA, April 10, 1990". The Perris Progress. 1996-04-10. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  37. ^ "Rock and Roll Heaven - The Los Angeles Times, Calendar Section, Jul. 13, 2006". The Los Angeles Times. 2006-07-13. p. 255. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  38. ^ "OC Live! - The Los Angeles Times, April 25, 1996". The Los Angeles Times. 1996-04-25. p. 178. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  39. ^ "'Heaven Rocks" is Clever, But Needs Fine-Tuning - North County Times, Oceanside, CA, Jun. 28, 2001". North County Times. 2001-06-29. p. 91. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  40. ^ Heaven Rocks: A Wild Night in Rock 'n Roll Heaven! by Various Artists on Apple Music, 2022-11-24, retrieved 2024-08-17
  41. ^ "Jason Mershon". LA Music Awards. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  42. ^ "Just Sing the Hits - When Bands (Barely) Reunite | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  43. ^ Maria Muldaur & Jason Mershon - "Don't You Feel My Leg" Recorded at Harbor Nights Night Club, San Diego, California (Video). 1997. Retrieved 2024-08-17 – via YouTube.
  44. ^ Navidad, Philippe (December 2003). "Old Farts Don't Fizzle" (PDF). San Diego Troubadour. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  45. ^ "Classic Rock All-Stars 2003 w/ Spencer Davis and JJ Breeze". YouTube. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  46. ^ "Jason Mershon's Biography: Hendon Mob Database". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  47. ^ "Singing Poker Pro Jason Mershon To Share Half His WSOP Winnings". onlinepoker.net. February 8, 2010. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  48. ^ "Poker Player/Songwriter offering WSOP Cash to Song Downloader’s". Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  49. ^ "The Nightly Turbo: Hollywood Multi-Accounting, Jayde Nicole on the Strip, and Who Is The NAPT Hostess?". www.pokernews.com. 2010-02-17. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
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