Jared Smith
Encyclopedia
Jared Smith is an American
amateur singer specializing in Spanish
. His singing career achieved some attention in the mid-1990s when his brothers Colin and Ian of Freeverse Software
combined a recording of his singing with an animated smiley face. The resulting program was intended to be their mother's birthday gift.
The two brothers later sent the singing software to their friends, who subsequently passed it to their own friends. The software, known as "Jared: the Butcher of Song," became a cult hit
because his version of "Luna de Xelajú
". "Jared" is playable on Mac OS
and Microsoft Windows
personal computers, as well as the iPhone
.
Over the following couple of years, Jared and Freeverse published several other versions of the program featuring different songs, including a Christmas
song which featured the line in Spanish
"Feliz Navidad
en mis pantalones" ("Merry Christmas in my trousers"). A Jared song is also often hidden in Freeverse's Burning Monkey Solitaire
series, most usually found by clicking on the gorilla
in the "audience".
Jared's animated avatar
appeared in a 1998 commercial for Blockbuster Video, and has also been included in the credits for Macromedia Director http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9806a&L=direct-l&F=&S=&P=45023. He also appears as a boss character in Freeverse's action shooter game Kill Monty.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
amateur singer specializing in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. His singing career achieved some attention in the mid-1990s when his brothers Colin and Ian of Freeverse Software
Freeverse Software
Freeverse Inc. is a computer and video game, and desktop software developer owned by Ngmoco. Based in New York City, Freeverse titles received numerous awards including a Macworld Game Hall of Fame, two Macworld San Francisco Best of Shows and three Apple Design Awards in 2004...
combined a recording of his singing with an animated smiley face. The resulting program was intended to be their mother's birthday gift.
The two brothers later sent the singing software to their friends, who subsequently passed it to their own friends. The software, known as "Jared: the Butcher of Song," became a cult hit
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
because his version of "Luna de Xelajú
Luna de Xelajú
"Luna de Xelajú" is a very popular Guatemalan waltz, played on marimba or any other instrument or ensemble; it was composed by Paco Pérez.The title translates as "Moon of Xelajú"...
". "Jared" is playable on Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
personal computers, as well as the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
Over the following couple of years, Jared and Freeverse published several other versions of the program featuring different songs, including a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
song which featured the line in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
"Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad may refer to:* a Spanish phrase meaning "happy Nativity"; comparable to Merry Christmas* Feliz Navidad , an album by José Feliciano** Feliz Navidad , a 1970 song from that album...
en mis pantalones" ("Merry Christmas in my trousers"). A Jared song is also often hidden in Freeverse's Burning Monkey Solitaire
Burning Monkey
Burning Monkey is a series of computer games developed by Freeverse Software. The games all feature a colorful cast of cartoon monkeys, many of whom can be set on fire, usually when the user hits ⌘W....
series, most usually found by clicking on the gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
in the "audience".
Jared's animated avatar
Avatar (virtual reality)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
appeared in a 1998 commercial for Blockbuster Video, and has also been included in the credits for Macromedia Director http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9806a&L=direct-l&F=&S=&P=45023. He also appears as a boss character in Freeverse's action shooter game Kill Monty.
See also
- William HungWilliam HungWilliam James Hung Hing Cheong , commonly known as William Hung, is an American singer who gained fame in early 2004 as a result of his off-key audition performance of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the television series...
- Florence Foster JenkinsFlorence Foster JenkinsFlorence Foster Jenkins was an American amateur operatic soprano who was known, and ridiculed, for her lack of rhythm, pitch, tone, and overall singing ability.-Early years:...
- Mrs. MillerMrs. MillerElva Ruby Connes Miller , who recorded under the name Mrs. Miller, was an American singer who gained some fame in the 1960s for her series of shrill and off-key renditions of then-popular songs such as "Moon River", "Monday, Monday", "A Lover's Concerto" and "Downtown".Singing in an untrained,...
- William Topaz McGonagallWilliam Topaz McGonagallWilliam Topaz McGonagall was a Scottish weaver, doggerel poet and actor. He won notoriety as an extremely bad poet who exhibited no recognition of or concern for his peers' opinions of his work....
- Numa numaNuma NumaNuma Numa is an Internet phenomenon based on amateur videos, most notably Numa Numa Song by Gary Brolsma, made for the song "Dragostea din tei" as performed by O-Zone. Brolsma's video, released in December 2004 on the website Newgrounds.com, was the first Numa Numa–themed video to gain widespread...
- Wesley WillisWesley WillisWesley Willis was a musician and artist from Chicago. A diagnosed chronic schizophrenic, he gained an enormous cult following in the 1990s after releasing several hundred songs of simple but unique music, with emphasis on his humorous, bizarre, and frequently obscene lyrics...
- WingWing (singer)Wing Han Tsang , popularly known simply as Wing, is a New Zealand singer of Hong Kong origin. She is known for her unique, offbeat singing style.-Career:...
External links
- Jared download page
- Jared for Windows
- Arty Geeks' Inane Voice a Hit by Michelle Delio
- Who the Heck is Jared? by Wendy Jackson