Shirley Jones

Shirley Jones (born September 22, 1953) is an American R&B singer best known as a member and lead vocalist of The Jones Girls, who were a trio of sisters that had a number of hit singles in the late 1970s and early 80's. Shirley went on to have a solo career after the group disbanded in 1984.

Career

Jones was born in Detroit, Michigan and began singing gospel as a child with her sisters, Brenda and Valorie, and her mother, Mary Frazier Jones. Shirley and her sisters eventually began singing secular music as The Jones Girls, and signed their first recording contract with GM Records in 1970, releasing the single "My Own Special Way".

The Jones Girls became background singers for Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Teddy Pendergrass, and others.

In 1979, Jones and her sisters signed a recording contract with Philadelphia International Records and enjoyed a string of hit singles in the first half of the 1980s.

After the group disbanded in 1984, Jones was offered a solo contract with Philadelphia International Records and released the hit single, "Do You Get Enough Love". The song spent 20 weeks on Billboard's R&B chart, peaking at No. 1 on August 26, 1986. A full-length album followed, entitled "Always In the Mood", which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart.

After the success of the single, Jones married Harlem Globetrotters basketball player Harold Hubbard.

Jones' sister Valorie died on December 2, 2001, in Detroit, Michigan. She was 45. On April 3, 2017, Jones's sister Brenda Jones died at age 62 after being involved in a serious road traffic accident.

As of 2020, Jones resides in McDonough, Georgia and continues to tour around the country and overseas, preserving the legacy of The Jones Girls.

The Jones Girls

The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, the Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for their singles during the late 1970s through the 1980s; most notably 1979's "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else". After a two–year tenure with GM, they then recorded for various labels before having success at Philadelphia International Records with Gamble & Huff.

History

The group consisted of sisters Brenda (December 7, 1954 – April 3, 2017), Valorie (April 17, 1956 – December 2, 2001) and Shirley Jones (born September 22, 1953). They performed as backup singers for Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Aretha Franklin, and Le Pamplemousse. They worked with Diana Ross from 1975 to 1978 and were the backup singers on Linda Clifford's 1978 album If My Friends Could See Me Now. They also performed on Tower of Power's disco-themed 1979 album Back on the Streets. Their biggest hit was "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else". The song hit the Billboard Magazine Top 40 at number 38 in May 1979. The song was also a Top 5 R&B hit. It became a gold record. An additional hit followed in 1980, with the single "I Just Love The Man", charting at number 9 in January 1981. The less successful "Nights Over Egypt" (1981), written by Dexter Wansel, charted at R&B number 23 in 1982.

After the release and failure of their fourth U.S. album, On Target, lead singer Shirley Jones pursued a solo career and had a number 1 R&B hit on Billboard with "Do You Get Enough Love", from her top-ten debut album Always in the Mood (1986). "Do You Get Enough Love" was written by Bunny Sigler, who also produced it with Kenny Gamble. Valorie Jones died on December 2, 2001, in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 45. In 2007, Shirley Jones released an album, Ladies Night Out, together with Jean Carn and Cherrelle, on CD and DVD.

Brenda eventually moved to Atlanta, where she sang frequently with her four-piece band, performing both jazz and R&B numbers, including many Jones Girls' tunes. She later moved to New York after her children were grown, to have a more active performing and recording schedule. On April 3, 2017, Brenda was visiting her daughter in Wilmington, Delaware, and was hit by several cars and killed while attempting to cross the street. She was 62. Shirley continues to perform successfully as the Jones Girls with two of her nieces and a nephew on background vocals.

Covers

"Who Can I Run To", from the band's self-titled 1979 debut album, was covered by Xscape in 1995. Their cover version became a number 1 R&B and number 8 pop hit. The original version was the B-side of "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else".

"Nights Over Egypt" was covered by Incognito on their album No Time Like The Future, and by Dexter Wansel himself in 2019.