You've probably seen those TikToks where people go around their offices, ask co-workers what year they were born, and then ask them what Jenny's number is. The answer, of course, is "867-5309," the title of the 1982 top-5 hit by the band Tommy Tutone. But now, pop music's most famous phone number is being put to good use.
The nonprofit Cancer Support Community, along with Gilda's Club locations, has taken over the number, with full endorsement from the band. Now, anyone impacted by cancer who calls CSC-867-5309 will receive support, information and personalized guidance from trained specialists.
"I gave a 'yes' as soon as they asked me, because we've all got to give back sometimes," says Tommy Tutone lead singer Tommy Heath, whose own family has been impacted by cancer. Heath, who's still touring and recording new music, tells ABC Audio that he's continually amazed at the ongoing popularity of the tune.
"Everybody knows that song," says Heath, 78. "It's the number three password in the world. It's the number girls give the guys that don't want to give them their real number ... I think every young person knows what it is."
He laughs, "I don't know why [the '80s] resonates so well. ... Several people told me that it was the high point of Western civilization!"
There are varying accounts of what inspired the song, but Heath swears there's a real Jenny, and 867-5309 was her parents' number. "I speak to her once in a while. We joke about having a reality show about what really happened," he says.
"But I remember introducing her to my wife and saying, 'This is Jenny,'" he recalls. "And [she goes], 'Hi, Jenny.' And I go, "No, this is JENNY!"