Early Years
He was born into a working-class family in Cobh, in County Cork, Ireland in 1913. At 6 foot 3 Doyle was always good with his fists and in 1929 he joined the forces of the Irish Guards based in Wales.
There he quickly excelled at boxing and was famed for his strong hooks that won him the British Army Championship. A sensational record of 28 straight victories, 27 by knockout, brought him to the attention of promoter Dan Sullivan. He turned pro and notched up 10 victories on the trot all inside 2 rounds, making him the hottest thing in the sport.
In July 1933, at the age of 19 he missed out on the British Heavyweight title to the holder, Welshman, Jack Petersen. Witnesses claim that he had done most of his warming up in a pub not far from the bout. Within the opening seconds he knew he was in trouble and decided to take the easy way out. He was disqualified for repeatedly punching low.
Shortly after, his singing voice was discovered by Dr. Vincent O'Brien, teacher to Count John McCormack and soon his soft tenor voice and handsome looks were selling out the London Palladium and the Royal in Dublin. Jack was subsequebtly signed up by Decca and several 78 records were produced including the popular "South of the Border" a duet recorded with his then wife Movita. But his love for the drink and generous nature soon started to take its toll on his health.
Read more about this topic: Jack Doyle
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