Helen Jones Woods
Encyclopedia
Helen Jones Woods is a jazz
and swing trombone
player most renowned for her performances with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm
. She was inducted into the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame
in 2007.
in the United States
. She started playing with the group when she was only 11 years old, when it was still the "school band" of Piney Woods Country Life School
in Mississippi
. Her father, Laurence C. Jones
, founded the school in 1910.
Jones Woods and her husband, William Alfred Woods, lived in the Logan Fontenelle Housing Projects while he attended Creighton University
. Upon graduating, he became the first African-American to earn an accounting degree there. Wood's fourth child is Cathy Hughes
, a successful business entrepreneur from Omaha. Today, Jones Woods lives in North Omaha
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and swing trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
player most renowned for her performances with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm
International Sweethearts of Rhythm
The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day...
. She was inducted into the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame
Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame
The Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame, or the OBMHoF, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to celebrate, document and honour the legacy of the many top vocalists and musicians whose musical careers began in the metropolitan area of Omaha, Nebraska...
in 2007.
About
In her 1940s heyday, young Helen Elizabeth Jones was in the top female jazz bandJazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She started playing with the group when she was only 11 years old, when it was still the "school band" of Piney Woods Country Life School
Piney Woods Country Life School
The Piney Woods Country Life School is a co-educational independent historically African-American boarding school for grades 9-12 in Piney Woods, Mississippi. It is one of four remaining historically African-American boarding schools in the United States...
in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Her father, Laurence C. Jones
Laurence C. Jones
Laurence Clifton Jones , was the founder and long-time president of Piney Woods Country Life School in the United States state of Mississippi. A noted educational innovator, Jones spent his adult life supporting the educational advancement of rural African American students in the segregated...
, founded the school in 1910.
Jones Woods and her husband, William Alfred Woods, lived in the Logan Fontenelle Housing Projects while he attended Creighton University
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
. Upon graduating, he became the first African-American to earn an accounting degree there. Wood's fourth child is Cathy Hughes
Cathy Hughes
Cathy Hughes, born Catherine Elizabeth Woods in Omaha, Nebraska on April 22, 1947, is an African-American entrepreneur, radio and television personality and business executive. Hughes founded the media company Radio One and later expanded into TV One, the company went public in 1998, making...
, a successful business entrepreneur from Omaha. Today, Jones Woods lives in North Omaha
North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the east, as defined by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha...
.
Family
- Helen's father: Lawrence Jones
- Helen and William's daughter: Catherine Elizabeth Woods (b. 22 April 1947, Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
)