The original talking bass - Orville “Hoppy” Jones and the Ink Spots

February 08, 2026

Celebrate the life and music of Orville “Hoppy” Jones, a founding member of the Ink Spots, a legendary vocal group with roots in the Indiana Avenue scene.  

As the Ink Spots’ bass vocalist, Hoppy developed a unique “talking bass” — a spoken-word recitation that helped define the group’s sound. Immensely popular with listeners in the late 1930s and 1940s, its rhythmic, narrative delivery has led some music historians to describe Hoppy as a forerunner of later spoken-word and rap traditions. 

Though his life was cut tragically short at age 39, Hoppy left behind a sound and a style that helped shape American popular music.