Joe Jones (singer)

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For other persons of the same name, see Joe Jones.

Joe Jones (12 August 1926, New Orleans, Louisiana – 27 November 2005, Los Angeles, California (not to be confused with guitarist Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones) was an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger. Jones is also generally credited with discovering The Dixie Cups.

As a singer, Jones' greatest hit was the Top Five 1960 R&B hit "You Talk Too Much".

Joe Jones claimed to compose many songs including the song "Iko Iko" which appeared in the opening sequences of the film, Rain Man. Although his claims were originally successful, a federal jury and then Court of Appeals ruled that Jones did not write "Iko Iko" and that his claims were fraudulent, and that the true writers were the band he managed, The Dixie Cups. [1]. The Dixie Cups hired music attorney Oren Warshavsky, who had previously won a case demonstrating that Jones fraudulently claimed ownership of another Mardi Gras classic song, "It Ain't My Fault." [2]. Jones also failed in his bid to claim ownership (though not as an author) to yet another Mardi Gras classic song, "Carnival Time." [3].

Jones died from complications from quadruple bypass surgery.