Who was Jack Lee? ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ Songwriter Dead at 71

Jack Lee was a famous American singer and songwriter who was known for the song Hanging on the Telephone, which he originally wrote in 1974. He founded a music group that same year named The Nerves along with two guys from the East Coast called Case and Collins, who also sang and wrote songs.

The band secured a $2,000 loan to record a four-song, self-titled, self-released EP in San Francisco that featured two of Lee’s compositions Give Me Some Time and Hanging on the Telephone. 

“The first day I met him, in late ’73 or early ’74, we went out and sat in the car, and I played him When You Find Out, and he played me Hanging on the Telephone. It was fantastic and inspiring. When Paul joined, it was a very exciting period, and Jack was the mover and shaker. In the early days, he was on fire, and he was visionary about where music could go,” Chase shared in a tribute statement.

Hanging on the Telephone was later recorded by Blonde vocalist Harry in 1978, after it was sent to him by writer Jeffrey Lee Prince, who was then the President of the Blondie Fan Club.

The song was also covered by other artistes including Def Leppard, Cat  Power, Davila 666, and more. The original version which was recorded by Nerves was featured on the popular Netflix tv series Outer Banks.

Lee died following a long battle with colon cancer on May 26, 2023. He was 71 years old.