The House Jacks


The House Jacks is a professional a cappella quintet from San Francisco, founded in 1991 by Deke Sharon.
The House Jacks describe themselves as a "rock band without instruments", their live shows typically include not only singing but also vocally imitating instruments such as trumpets, guitars, harmonicas and strings as well as taking audience-requests for songs and rendering them in musical styles unlike the original versions.
The group primarily performs original material and is considered the first professional a cappella group to have a dedicated vocal percussionist.
The group routinely tours the United States, Europe and Asia, has recorded numerous jingles and has garnered numerous recording and community awards. The group was signed to Tommy Boy records from 1994-1997, and Artilier Records from 2000-2005.
They can be heard in the background music on NBC's The Sing-Off in the opening video, commercial transitions and elimination sequences. They have also created comedic bits and jingles for the radio personalities Mancow Muller and Rick Dees.
The group performed at the 53rd Monterey Jazz Festival on September 17, 2010. and have performed on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Gewandhaus.
They performed the Monday Night Football Theme "Are You Ready For Some Football" with Hank Williams, Jr. for the 2011 season.
Rolling Stone wrote about their inclusion in Ford automobiles, demoing the twelve speaker Sony sound system
Their version of "Since U Been Gone" was adapted for the audition scene in Pitch Perfect

Member changes

The original group of seven members met while singing in collegiate groups on the East Coast and relocated to San Francisco to begin the group in September 1991.
Past members include Kid Beyond, Rob Penn, Garth Kravits, Bert Bacco, Wes Carroll, and Antonio Medrano.

Band Lineups

Present
  • Colin Egan
  • Tracy LJ Robertson
  • Austin Willacy
  • Grayson Villanueva
  • Gregory Fletcher
2017-Unknown
  • Mark Joseph: vocals
  • John Pointer: vocals, Beatboxing, instrument mimicry
  • Nick Girard: Vocal percussion, vocals, vocal bass
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • Gregory Fletcher: vocal bass, vocals
2015-2017
  • Nick Girard: Vocal percussion, vocals, vocal bass
  • Matt Sallee: vocal bass, vocals
  • Mark Joseph: vocals
  • John Pointer: vocals, Beatboxing, instrument mimicry
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
2012-2015
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • John Pointer: vocals, beatboxing, instrument mimicry
  • Elliot Robinson: vocal bass, vocals
  • Nick Girard: vocal percussion, vocals, vocal bass
2010-2012
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • Roopak Ahuja: vocal, instrument mimicry
  • Troy Horne: vocal bass, vocals
  • Jake Moulton: vocal percussion, beatboxing, instrument mimicry
2008-2010
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • Roopak Ahuja: vocal, instrument mimicry
  • Antonio Medrano: vocal bass, vocals
  • Jake Moulton: vocal percussion, beatboxing, instrument mimicry
2006-2008
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • Roopak Ahuja: vocal, instrument mimicry
  • Antonio Medrano: vocal bass, vocals
  • Wes Carroll: vocal percussion, vocals
1998-2006
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • Garth Kravits: vocals
  • Bert Bacco: vocal bass, vocals
  • Wes Carroll: vocal percussion, vocals
1993-1998
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Rob Penn: vocals
  • Austin Willacy: vocals
  • Tristan Bishop: vocals
  • Bert Bacco: vocal bass, vocals
  • Andrew Chaikin: vocal percussion
1992-1993
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Rob Penn: vocals
  • Tristan Bishop: vocals
  • Bert Bacco: vocal bass, vocals
  • Andrew Chaikin: vocal percussion
  • Marty Mahoney: vocals
1991-1992
  • Deke Sharon: vocals, instrument mimicry
  • Rob Penn: vocals
  • Tristan Bishop: vocals
  • Bert Bacco: vocal bass, vocals
  • Andrew Chaikin: vocal percussion
  • Marty Mahoney: vocals
  • Brannon Wiles: vocals

    Timeline

Discography

Awards

  • Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards
  • *2004
  • **Best Pop/Rock Album: Unbroken
  • **Best Best Pop/Rock Original Song: "Good Things" from Unbroken
  • *2006
  • **Best Original Song: "This Man's Pride" from "Fitchy & Grikko"
  • *2007
  • **Runner Up, Best Pop/Rock Album: Get Down Mr. President!!
  • *2011
  • **Best Pop/Rock Album: Level
  • **Best Pop/Rock Original Song: "Red Dress" from Level
  • **Best Professional Original Song: "You Were Everything" from Level
  • *2015
  • **Best Pop/Rock Album: Pollen
  • **Best Original Song by a Professional Group: "Talk2Me" from Pollen
  • **Runner Up: Best Pop/Rock Song: "As It Falls Apart" from Pollen
  • **Runner Up: Best HipHop/R&B Song: "Talk2Me" from Pollen
  • A Cappella Community Awards
  • *2010
  • **Favorite Vocal Percussionist: Jake Moulton
  • **Favorite Songwriter: Austin Willacy
  • **Favorite Arranger: Deke Sharon
  • **Favorite Moment: Jake Moulton's turntables from House Jacks SoJam performance
  • *2011
  • **Favorite Professional Album: Level
  • **Favorite Male Vocalist: Roopak Ahuja
  • **Favorite Vocal Percussionist: Jake Moulton
  • **Favorite Songwriter: Austin Willacy
  • **Favorite Song That Doesn't Sound A Cappella: "You Were Everything" from Level
  • **Favorite Original Song: "Red Dress" from Level
  • **Favorite Album Art: Level