Kelly Jones (born 3 June 1974) is a
WelshWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
and
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
and the lead singer of the band
StereophonicsStereophonics are a Welsh rock band that formed in 1992 in Cwmaman. Currently comprising lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing vocalist Adam Zindani and touring member Tony Kirkham , and originally included...
. Influenced by classic rock bands such as
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
,
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
,
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
and the
Sex PistolsThe Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They are responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Jones is noted for his strong, gravelly voice, which has been described as "
whiskyWhisky or whiskey is a type of alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize...
" vocals.As a lyricist, Jones is also strongly influenced by
Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997....
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
and
Otis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer. Often called the "King of Soul", he is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice...
. Jones has a talent for poetry, having had several works published. He is also known in the media for his cynical view of fame and criticism of manufactured mainstream pop music.
Early life and début
Jones lived in the village of
CwmamanCwmaman is a former coal mining pit village near Aberdare, South Wales. The name Cwmaman is Welsh language for, "Aman Valley", . For postal reasons it comes under Aberdare....
, near
AberdareAberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the River Dar and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,619...
, where he became friends with neighbours,
Stuart CableStuart Cable is the former drummer for the Welsh band, Stereophonics.He grew up in the close-knit village of Cwmaman near Aberdare, and still visits his family there and has a lot to do with the village. He now owns a flat in Cardiff Bay, and partly lives in Abernant.In 2002, Cable was given his...
and
Richard JonesRichard Jones is the bassist and backing vocalist for the Welsh rock band Stereophonics, playing alongside Kelly Jones and Javier Weyler. Jones grew up in Cwmaman, an old mining village in South Wales...
and they formed a covers band together. Showing a talent for writing in his youth, he considered being a scriptwriter before being a musician and studied film at college. The BBC showed an interest in some of his early work but, as the band progressed from a covers band to writing their original material, he decided to use his narrative side more towards writing lyrics.
Jones also flirted with the idea of boxing, and was a successful boxer at youth level. Much of his early life is documented in the Stereophonics debut album, including his account of his teen years on a market stall. These are wryly documented in
More Life in a Tramps Vest"More Life in a Tramp's Vest" is the second single from the rock band Stereophonics. The song is taken from the band's debut album, Word Gets Around and was released in May 1997. It reached #33 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is about life from the view of supermarket bag boy...
from the Stereophonics first album released in 1997,
Word Gets AroundWord Gets Around is the debut album by Welsh rock band Stereophonics. The songs are credited to all three band members; singer/guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist Richard Jones and drummer Stuart Cable, while the lyrics were written by Kelly Jones. The album reached #6 in the UK Albums Chart and is the...
.
Stereophonics made a big splash in 1996 as the first band to be signed to
Richard BransonSir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English industrialist, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies. Branson's first successful business venture was at age 16, when he published a magazine called Student. He then set up an audio record mail-order business in 1970...
's new
Virgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. It was later sold to Thorn EMI, and then, in the US, merged with Capitol Records in 2007 to create the Capitol Music Group....
label
V2V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
. Their distinctive sound offered a blend of
OasisOasis were an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
-inspired
BritpopBritpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
and '70s-influenced rock & roll earning them a series of big UK hits. However, this did not come at once - their debut EP
Looks Like Chaplin did not have enough copies made to enter the charts, their next single
Local Boy in the Photograph"Local Boy in the Photograph" is the first single from the Rock band Stereophonics. The song is taken from their debut album, Word Gets Around and was initially released in March 1997...
was one place shy of making the UK Top 50. Although constant gigging and countless support slots earned them much praise and a growing fanbase. Fellow Welsh band Manic Street Preachers put the band as support on many of their 1996-97 tour, this brought the band a lot of new fans.
Their debut LP Word Gets Around did however make it to #6 in the UK Album chart, something that in those days was unheard of for a small Welsh trio.
1998 - present: Mainstream success
In February 1998, they received a Brit Award for Best New Group, the same week as a re-issue of Local Boy in the Photograph made number 14 in the charts and their first album went gold in the UK, selling over 100,000 copies. During that year Stereophonics had successful tours in Europe, Australia and the USA. They performed a milestone concert on 12 June 1998 at
Cardiff CastleCardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.-The Roman fort:...
in front of 10,000 people which was considered a major success.
In 1999, after playing another key gig at the now rebuilt
Morfa StadiumMorfa Stadium was an athletics stadium in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. It has now been demolished and the land is occupied by the Morfa Retail Park and the newly constructed Liberty Stadium....
in
SwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
on 31 July 1999 (released later on VHS & DVD) they released the "difficult second album" which was entitled
Performance & Cocktails. This was their first #1 album and it set the trend for their albums which at time of writing, all went straight in at the top spot.
Performance & Cocktails showed how three boys from a small town in Wales grew into rockstars with stories to tell. Kelly no longer sang of small town matters but instead roared out anthems like
Bartender & The Thief &
Just LookingJust Looking is an American feature film from the year 1999. It starred Ryan Merriman, was directed by Jason Alexander and received a limited theatrical release....
, and wrote tracks such as
Plastic California documenting his time in the States. During this time they also collaborated with Welsh singer
Tom JonesSir Thomas Jones Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. Since 1965, Jones has sold over 100 million records.-Early life:...
on a cover of the Randy Newman song
Mama Told Me Not To Come"Mama Told Me Not to Come" is a song by Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966.-Newman original and first recordings:Newman says that it is a lighthearted reflection on the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1960s...
for his album Reload.
In 2000, rumours that the band were splitting up ran wild when Jones announced a solo tour, however on the opening night of the tour in Vicar Street in
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
, he came onto the stage and said "How's it going? This is about the band splitting up... it's bollocks".
After another successful tour, they re-entered the studios and came out with
Just Enough Education to PerformJust Enough Education to Perform is the third album released by Stereophonics. It was originally to be called "JEEP". It also became their second album to reach #1 in the UK, following Performance and Cocktails...
, the first single
Mr. Writer"Mr. Writer" is the first single from rock band the Stereophonics taken from the their third album Just Enough Education to Perform. It was released in March 2001. It reached #5 in the UK charts....
, Jones talked about how journalists had turned on him, how they would play one act to an artist's face and then write untrue things about them once their back was turned. Despite this,
Mr. Writer hit a nerve among fans. More single success for songs like
Have A Nice DayHave a Nice Day may refer to:*Have a Nice Day *Have a Nice Day *Have a Nice Day *"Have a Nice Day" *"Have a Nice Day"...
,
Step On My Old Size Nines"Step on My Old Size Nines" is the third single from rock band the Stereophonics taken from the their third album Just Enough Education to Perform. It was released in September 2001. It reached #16 in the UK charts.The song is track 4 on the album...
and a cover of
Rod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English lineage....
's version of
Handbags & Gladrags which still receives significant radio play today, established Stereophonics as one of Britains top bands. They also recorded their biggest audience to date when they played to 80,000 in
Slane CastleSlane Castle is a castle located in Slane village, County Meath, in Ireland.-History :Situated in the Boyne valley overlooking the River Boyne just a few miles upstream from the site of the famous Battle of the Boyne, Slane Castle in its existing form was reconstructed under the direction of...
in Ireland and ending with a Christmas show at the
Millennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and the Wales national football team but is also host to many other large scale events, such as Wales Rally Great Britain stage of the World Rally...
, Cardiff, supported by
FeederFeeder may refer to:*Feeder , the Welsh rock group*Feeder , another name for a riser*Feeder , someone who gains sexual pleasure from helping another gain weight...
and
Ocean Colour SceneOcean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band from Birmingham.-Early Days :Ocean Colour Scene were formed after two other local bands called The Boys and Fanatics disbanded. Fanatics released an EP titled Suburban Love Songs...
- who they had supported years before.
Everybody expected another album like
Just Enough Education to Perform (aka
J.E.E.P). but once they released their fourth studio album
You Gotta Go There to Come BackYou Gotta Go There to Come Back is Stereophonics' fourth album, released on V2 in 2003. It became their third consecutive album to top the UK chart....
everybody knew the Stereophonics were here to stay, unlike their first three, they were not trying to "make it" in the music business, or cement their place. Songs like
Maybe Tomorrow"Maybe Tomorrow" is a single from the Stereophonics 2003 album You Gotta Go There to Come Back. It is featured on the soundtrack of the academy award winning movie Crash. It has more of a jazz ambience than some of their other songs; this and the whole album were considered a departure from the...
and
Madame Helga"Madame Helga" is a single from the Stereophonics 2003 album You Gotta Go There to Come Back. It reached #4 in the UK charts and was inspired after the band stayed at Helga's Folly while they were on tour in Sri Lanka. The Folly itself is owned by a woman called Helga Desilva Blow Perera and thats...
came out of this album, and they also re-worked a song that had not been completed in time -
Moviestar. They re-issued the album with this track included.
In 2002, the band was chosen as a support act for
Counting CrowsCounting Crows is a rock band originating from Berkeley, California. The group gained popularity in 1994 following the release of its debut album August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones". The band's influences include Van Morrison, R.E.M., Mike & The Mechanics,...
and toured on various UK dates with the band. Subsequently Jones would join the band on stage and perform
Mr. Jones and
Hanginaround alongside Adam DuritzAdam Fredric Duritz is an American musician and record producer. He is the lead singer and founding member of the rock band Counting Crows...
.
In 2003, whilst on tour in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, drummer Stuart Cable - whom by this time had his own television chat show on
BBC WalesBBC Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside London,...
- was sacked from the band by Jones, citing problems over "commitment". Cable was replaced temporarily on the remainder of the tour by Black Crowes drummer
Steve GormanSteve Gorman is a musician best known as the drummer of the American hard rock band The Black Crowes. He also spent some time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics.- Early career :...
. According to Stuart, "I kept pluggin' away. I knew when we started we weren't very good and I was waiting for it to get better. It was becoming obvious that wasn't going to happen and I said so. Kelly didn't like that".
The Stereophonics' fifth studio album
Language. Sex. Violence. Other?Language. Sex. Violence. Other? is the fifth studio album by Stereophonics, released March 14 2005 . It received critical acclaim in the British music press, who had been hostile to the band in recent years, and notably the NME, whose reviews of the band's previous two albums had been harsh...
was released in March 2005. This marked their first recording with new drummer,
Javier WeylerJavier Andrés Weyler is the drummer for the Welsh based rock group Stereophonics. Despite being born in Argentina, Weyler lived most of his life in Caracas, Venezuela, and now resides in London, England...
the band's former studio engineer, whom they had made permanent in the band after asking him to fill in on the drums for some early LSVO recordings. The band grabbed their first number 1 hit in the UK singles chart with the album's first release, the upbeat
Dakota, in which Kelly spent much of the video driving in dark sunglasses. The second single from the album,
Superman, was a growling rocker. This song however did not repeat the success of
Dakota, peaking at number 13 in the UK charts, partly due to limited radio airplay. After this release came
Devil, which was promoted by a controversial video, reaching number 11 in the charts.
In January 2005 Kelly Jones performed a solo set at the
Tsunami Relief Cardiff charity concertTsunami Relief Cardiff was a charity music concert held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 22 January 2005, in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had occurred the month before...
at the
Millennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and the Wales national football team but is also host to many other large scale events, such as Wales Rally Great Britain stage of the World Rally...
in
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
, the biggest live music charity concert since 1985's
Live AidLive Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on . The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Billed as the 'global jukebox', the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium, London and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia...
, which also featured artists such as
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
.
On 2 July 2005, the group took a break from their sold out world tour and appeared at the
Live 8Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
concert, in
Hyde ParkHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, London, performing to 240,000 people - their biggest audience yet.
In the following year, The Stereophonics were scheduled to tour with
OasisIn geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
, but due to an unfortunate family-related event the band pulled out. They did not resurface until later in the year where they began recording for the sixth studio album
Pull The PinPull the Pin is the sixth studio album by Stereophonics, released in the UK on 15 October 2007. A Stereophonics newsletter released the "Pull the Pin" album artwork to subscribers. The cover was also shown to MySpace users that had added the band in a bulletin. The album reached number 1 in the UK,...
which was released on 15 October 2007.
Pull The Pin is an album that returns to the band's classic rock roots evident in the first album and the influence of 70's rock can be heard in numerous tracks.
Equipment
Jones is well known for his love of British style amps, and is never seen without his Matchless', Badcats and
Vox AC30The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound.-History:The Vox AC30 was originally introduced in 1958 as “big brother” for the fifteen watt AC15 model, Vox's original flagship amplifier. The AC15 was powered by a pair of EL84 tubes, an EF86-driven...
s, whether playing solo or with Stereophonics. He loves the "clean British sound" of the AC30s and the "dirty crunch" of the Badcats and Matchless'.
He does not use many pedals, but in solos is well known for his use of his
DunlopDunlop Manufacturing, Inc., known to many as Jim Dunlop, is a manufacturer of musical accessories based in Benicia, California. Originally founded in 1965 by Jim Dunlop, Sr., the company has grown from a small home operation to being a large manufacturer of music gear in the music industry for over...
CryBaby
wahA wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, intended to mimic the human voice. The pedal sweeps the peak response of a filter up and down in frequency to create the sound .-History:The Wah-Wah pedal has a very specific and...
, and his crunchy, wah-driven solos are instantly recognisable. He also uses
BossBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
effects pedals, including a chorus, delay, flange, phaser and various distortion pedals, although he is gradually getting rid of the distortion pedals and just using amp switching pedals using the built in crunch and clean settings, mainly using his AC30 for clean work and his other 2 amps for distortion.
His main guitar is a cherry red
Gibson SGThe Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s.-Origins:In 1960, Gibson Les Paul sales were significantly lower than they had been in previous years, so in 1961 the model was given a completely new body style that was thinner and had two...
. His use of a
Gibson ES-339The Gibson ES-339 is a semi-hollow body guitar which is manufactured in Gibson's Custom Shop. The guitar is the size of a regular solid body guitar, but has the sound of a semi-hollow body guitar.-Options:...
is becoming more and more common along with his
Fender StratocasterThe Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top horn for balance while standing...
, and his
Fender TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender. Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
is also making more and more appearances, his
Fender JaguarThe Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar which was introduced in 1962. Whether the designers of the Jaguar had intended the instrument to be used for Surf music, or if it was a further attempt to break into the Jazz guitar market remains a topic of dispute among Jaguar aficionados...
, used extensively on 'Language Sex Violence Other' looked to have been made redundant on the latest 'Pull the Pin' tour but was used a lot more towards the end of the tour, most notably on the single
You're My Star"You're My Star" is a single released by Stereophonics from the Greatest Hits album Decade in the Sun: The Best of Stereophonics. It was released on October 27, 2008....
. He owns one Telecaster clone built by Manson Guitars He is also known to use Gibson Les Paul Goldtops, especially on heavier tracks such as Bartender and the Thief and Vegas 2 Times. His acoustic guitar of choice is a Gibson J150 and rarely uses anything else, but owns various other Gibsons and Takamines.
Media criticism
Jones has always had a troubled relationship with the media and they have often criticised him, his contribution to music, and his vocal abilities. This relationship was not helped when he wrote "Mr. Writer", a song about a journalist who had travelled with Stereophonics on tour and then subsequently slighted Jones in an article, which resulted in further negative reviews.
Thom Yorke
Jones has generated headlines several times by criticising other musical artists - most notably
RadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992...
frontman and solo artist
Thom YorkeThomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead singer and principal songwriter of the alternative rock group Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
. Despite being a Radiohead fan, he criticised Yorke's attitude in a 2002 interview due to what Jones felt was complaining about touring on Radiohead's 1998 home video release,
Meeting People Is EasyMeeting People Is Easy, first released on 30 November 1998, is a rockumentary by Grant Gee following British alternative rock band Radiohead on their exhaustive world tour following the success of their 1997 album OK Computer...
. He said: "We can all relate to that video – y’know, having to do a hundred fucking idents for radio stations – but that doesn’t mean you’ve got to walk round and be a miserable twat to everybody. Which is what Thom Yorke is mostly." Jones later regretted the comment, stressing his appreciation for Yorke's music, and confessing: "I don't know why I said that." Despite expressing goodwill towards Yorke, he claims that Yorke told him to "fuck off" when he attempted to make amends with him.
Manufactured acts
Most famously however, Jones is widely known for his cynical view of manufactured pop and has also criticised
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
reality shows such as
PopstarsPopstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
and
X FactorThe X Factor is a British television music talent show, contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3...
and manufactured pop bands such as Hear'Say, as he believes they make no contribution to music, and regards them as a joke.
Other projects
In 2007 Kelly Jones brought out his first solo album,
Only The Names Have Been ChangedOnly the Names Have Been Changed is the solo debut album by Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones.As Jones explains, "we were recording the sixth Stereophonics album...and in-between takes I started doing these songs off the cuff. Three or four tracks in I realised that this could actually be...
, as a limited edition release, which managed to reach number 1 on the iTunes download chart. He explained that; "We were recording the sixth Stereophonics album last year and in-between takes I started doing these songs off the cuff. Three or four tracks in I realised that this could actually be something… strange how it's always little things that makes big things happen." This created speculation that Jones would leave Stereophonics to pursue his solo career, however he denied these rumours and has continued to make albums with the band to this day.
Personal life
Jones is the youngest of three brothers. His father, Arwyn Jones, was a factory worker, who also sang in local men's working clubs where they lived in
South WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, in his band Oscar And The Kingfishers. Arwyn managed to secure a record deal with Polydor, but never achieved any mainstream success. During his youth he was also an amateur boxer, competing at a high level in South Wales.
Jones cites
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
as his favourite band.
Jones is known for his preference of wearing vintage clothing, and owns at least twenty
leather jacketA leather jacket is a type of clothing, a jacket made of leather. The jacket has usually a brown, dark grey or black color. Leather jackets can be styled in a variety of ways, and different versions have been associated with different subcultures...
s including several variations of his trademark
tanTan is a brownish, tawny color. The name is derived from tannum, or crushed oak bark, that is used in the process for tanning leather. The resulting process often produces a hide with a 'tan' hue....
leather jacket. He is frequently seen wearing sunglasses even at night time concerts and indoors. Jones is a fan of football club.
In 2000 Jones went to (his friend and band photographer) Julian Castaldi's home, kicked down his front door, smashed his window with a brick and then vandalised his two cars with a scaffolding pole, whilst under the influence of alcohol. This was because Jones had recently discovered that Castaldi was courting his ex-fiancee, Emma Dunn, four weeks after they had ended their twelve-year relationship. Castaldi called the police and consequently Jones was arrested. However Castaldi did not press charges, leaving Kelly Jones with a £2000 fine for damages. Jones commented that "What I did was completely out of character - but what he did was wrong", later writing the song "Rainbows and Pots of Gold" in response to the event.
He currently has two daughters - Lolita Bootsy (born in 2004) and Misty (born in 2007), both to his then partner Rebecca Walters, a graphic designer he started a relationship with around 2003. However Jones split up with Walters in 2007, not long after Lolita became seriously ill, although she recovered.
The song "Lolita" was written for his daughter Lolita Bootsy.
Jones is also well-known for his small stature, standing at only 5 feet and 6 inches tall, and it was even referenced by
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey CBE is an English singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who...
of
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
- another singer known for his small stature (unconfirmed 5 feet and 7 inches) - on the
Live at the Royal Albert HallLive at the Royal Albert Hall may refer to :*Live at the Royal Albert Hall *Live at the Royal Albert Hall *Live at the Royal Albert Hall...
DVD, where Kelly was one of several special guests. Daltrey jokingly said: "It's great, 'cause he (Kelly) is smaller than me", right before performing Substitute.
Studio albums
| Year |
Title |
Chart Positions |
| UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus.To qualify for the UK albums...
|
Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers is a weekly albums chart introduced by Billboard in 1993 whose purpose is to highlight sales by new and developing musical recording artists. Albums appearing on Top Heatseekers may also concurrently appear on the Billboard 200....
Chart |
| 2007 |
Only the Names Have Been Changed Only the Names Have Been Changed is the solo debut album by Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones.As Jones explains, "we were recording the sixth Stereophonics album...and in-between takes I started doing these songs off the cuff. Three or four tracks in I realised that this could actually be...
(as Kelly Jones) |
- |
- |