If you call 867-5309 these days, Jenny won’t answer, but a telemedicine professional will. After seeing the emotional toll cancer took on some of his friends, the man behind Tommy Tutone’s 1981 smash hit “867-5309/Jenny,” has teamed up with global nonprofit Cancer Support Community to turn the most famous phone number in music into a hotline for people impacted by the disease. Armed with an ear-worm of a chorus, “867-5309/Jenny” lapped up 1980s radio play until it was one of the most famous phone numbers in the country. Tommy Heath (inset), the group’s frontman, said anyone impacted by cancer can call 272-867-5309 to receive immediate support, trusted information, and personalized guidance from trained specialists at Cancer Support Community. Heath himself is dealing with a minor case of skin cancer, but it won’t stop him from going on tour this summer, where, yes, he will play “867-5309/Jenny,” and presumably tell the crowd all about exactly who it is that will answer the phone 45 years after the hit was released.
