Born Earl Bennett, the esteemed Sir Gas was a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, specializing in painting and sculpture. Attracted to the stage after graduating, he hit his stride in his professional performing career with a long run in the Ken Murray revue entitled Blackouts, leading to a comic role in the film The Egg and I. In 1947, Spike Jones caught Bennett's nightclub act and promptly offered him a place in the growing City Slickers entourage. The leader was looking for charismatic frontmen to replace the parting Doodles Weaver at this point, although how charisma might be defined within the context of Spike Jones might be something to be wary of; for example, a part of Bennett's nightclub act that might have appealed to Jones involved rubbing tree branches together to imitate a violin. The leader had already created the name of Sir Frederick Gas as a gag on several record label credits, but knighted the new man officially in this identity based on Bennett's ability to belch. Gas experimented with his on-stage experience, dressing in a tux and imitating the fright-wig hairstyle of radio personality Bert Gordon, who was known as "the Mad Russian." He put his artistic training to good use while in the Slickers, building many a prop for the stage show, including the fake heads worn by Jones' two-headed drummer, Joe Siracusa. Gas got the plum vocal chores on outrageous send-ups of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and "Tennessee Waltz." On the former recording, Gas was the Yiddish-accented partner to Dick Morgan's drunken cowpoke. The record totally infuriated Vaughn Monroe, composer of the original song. Controversies such as this were often stirred up by Jones himself. "Tennessee Waltz" was transplanted from the Ozarks to the Bronx, with Gas once again doing his Yiddish bit, joined by Sara Berner, a comedian who was most famous for he role as the telephone operator on the Jack Benny Show. Gas was one of the busiest participants on the early Jones radio broadcasts in 1947 and 1948 and also received a featured role in Fireman, Save My Child, a film vehicle for the Jones band. With his kooky personality and appearance he was a natural for the Jones television shows. For the first Jones broadcast on NBC in 1951, Gas crooned his way through "My Heart Cries for You," water gushing from his glasses at the most tender moments. His last season with Jones was in 1954, allowing him to get in on some classic skits done during that period, including tiny Billy Barty's parody of pianist Liberace. His stay with Jones was longer than most, finishing in 1954 when he was replaced by Mousie Garner. After leaving Jones, Gas was hired on the editing staff of UPA, doing mostly voice-overs for commercials. He then joined the staff of the new regime in cartoons in Hollywood, Hanna-Barbara, specializing in making strange sound effects. After retiring he devoted his leisure time to painting. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
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