Kenney Jones | |
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.jpg) Jones in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Kenneth Thomas Jones (1948-09-16)16 September 1948 (age 77) Whitechapel, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | kenneyjones |
Kenneth Thomas Jones (born 16 September 1948) is an English drummer best known for his work in the groupsSmall Faces,Faces andthe Who. Jones was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Small Faces/Faces.[1]
Kenneth Thomas Jones was born on 16 September 1948 inWhitechapel,London, England.[2][3]
Having previously been in a band withRonnie Lane, Jones was one of the founding members of the English rock groupSmall Faces. Active from 1965 to 1969, Small Faces were part of theMod trend of the 1960s. Their hits included "All or Nothing", "Sha-La-La-La-Lee", "Itchycoo Park" and "Tin Soldier".
In 2007, Small Faces were honoured byWestminster Council with a commemorative plaque placed at what wasDon Arden's offices inCarnaby Street, the band's "spiritual home". Jones himself unveiled the plaque. In aBBC interview, Jones said: "To honour the Small Faces after all these years is a terrific achievement. I only wish thatSteve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and Don Arden were here to enjoy this moment with me".[4] Since the death ofJimmy Winston in September 2020, Jones andRick Wills are the sole surviving members of the Small Faces.
In 2004The Observer listed the Small Faces' 1968 releaseOgdens' Nut Gone Flake one of the "top British albums of all time".[5]
After the departure of lead singer/guitaristSteve Marriott in 1969, the group recruited singerRod Stewart and guitaristRonnie Wood to replace Marriott. Both were formerly with theJeff Beck Group. The band changed its name toFaces, as the original name was associated with the small stature of its members, and Stewart and Wood did not fit the description. Jones remained with the band until its dissolution in late 1975, recording four studio albums and a live album with them.[6]
In November 1978, Jones was invited by guitaristPete Townshend and managerBill Curbishley to joinThe Who, replacing their original drummerKeith Moon, who had died of a drug overdose in September.[7] He was invited, in part, because the band had been friendly with him from his days with the Small Faces (he and Moon were friends and were together on the last night of Moon's life in 1978, as part of the viewing party put together byPaul McCartney forThe Buddy Holly Story), and because he had played with Townshend,Roger Daltrey andJohn Entwistle on theTommysoundtrack. He played on the albumsFace Dances andIt's Hard and also played on the soundtrack for Daltrey's filmMcVicar, as well as on the band's tours from 1979 to 1982. Jones played with the band atLive Aid in 1985.
Jones' final appearance as a regular member of the Who was when the group received a lifetime achievement award at the 1988British Phonographic Industry awards ceremony. He was frequently at odds with Daltrey, who felt that Jones' drumming style was not a good match with the band, (Jones's playing was usually straighter and less frenetic than Moon's), but Daltrey has denied having anything personal against Jones or his drumming, stating: "I'm not saying he's a bad drummer. I'm not saying he's a bad guy. I didn't dislike the guy, but I just felt he wasn't the right drummer for the Who. It's like having a wheel off a Cadillac stuck onto a Rolls Royce. It's a great wheel but it's the wrong one."[8]
Jones was replaced bySimon Phillips for the Who's 1989 reunion tour. In an April 2011 special edition ofUncut magazine,[9] Townshend said that Jones was a good choice for the band.
Jones reunited with The Who on 14 June 2014 at the Rock n Horsepower benefit concert held at his Hurtwood Polo Club. The band performed for an event set up by Jones to benefitProstate Cancer UK, an organization that promotes awareness of the disease that Jones has. It was the first time that he had appeared onstage with Townshend and Daltrey since 1988. Sharing the bill were contemporaries such asJeff Beck,Procol Harum andMike Rutherford.[10]
Jones formed partnerships with formerFree,Bad Company, andThe Firm singerPaul Rodgers in the early 1990s, forming a band calledThe Law.
In 2001, Jones formed a new band; over several months, the line-up solidified to includeRick Wills andRobert Hart. In 2005, The Jones Gang released their debut album,Any Day Now.
Jones has been featured on recordings as a guest drummer on many recording sessions, including appearances on albums byRod Stewart,The Rolling Stones,Ronnie Wood,Roger Daltrey,Andy Fairweather-Low,[11]Joan Armatrading,Keith Moon,Marsha Hunt,Mike Batt,Pete Townshend,Chuck Berry,Jerry Lee Lewis,David Essex,John Lodge andWings. He was also on aTop of the Pops performance withStatus Quo, performing their 1986hit single, "Red Sky".
Outside of music, Jones is a fan ofpolo. He has become an accomplished polo player and is the owner of Hurtwood Park Polo Club, inEwhurst, Surrey.[12]
On behalf of Small Faces and in memory of his late colleaguesSteve Marriott andRonnie Lane, Jones established a children's charity, the Small Faces Charitable Trust, in 1999.[13]
Jones is a supporter of theConservative Party,[14] and recorded a song called "Mr Brown" written by Robert Hart, criticising the tax policies of the then Chancellor of ExchequerGordon Brown.[15] He has also performed in support of theCountryside Alliance.[16]
Jones' memoir,Let the Good Times Roll: My Life in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who, was published in September 2018 (ISBN 9781250193568).
Jones has six children. He is married to retired model Jayne Andrew, mother of four of his children. He was previously married to singer Jan Osborne, sister ofGary Osborne.[17] In September 2013 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, for which he was treated withbrachytherapy.[18]
Jones stated that he "virtually taught"Zak Starkey, son ofRingo Starr, how to play drums.[19] Jones was close friends with Starkey's parents. After replacing Moon in The Who, Jones gave Starkey one of Moon's old drum kits.[19] In 1996, Starkey became The Who's touring drummer.
Kenneth Thomas Jones was born on September 16, 1948, at theLondon Hospital,Whitechapel
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