| Kenney Jones | |
|---|---|
Jones (farthest to right) with Small Faces |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kenneth Thomas Jones |
| Born | 16 September 1948 Stepney, London, England |
| Genres | Rock, hard rock |
| Occupations | Drummer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Associated acts | Small Faces, Faces, The Who, The Law, The Jones Gang |
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones (born 16 September 1948, London Hospital, Whitechapel, East London) is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.[1]
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Having previously been in a band with Ronnie Lane, Jones was one of the founding members of the English rock group, the Small Faces. Active from 1965 to 1969, Small Faces were part of the Mod revolution of the 1960s. Their hits included "All or Nothing", "Sha-La-La-La-Lee", "Itchycoo Park" and "Tin Soldier". Small Faces have been cited as a major influence on musicians for the past 35 years, including Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher.[2]
In 2007, the Small Faces were honoured by Westminster Council with a commemorative plaque placed at what was Don Arden's offices in Carnaby Street, the band's "spiritual home". Jones himself unveiled the plaque. In a BBC interview Jones said: "To honour the Small Faces after all these years is a terrific achievement. I only wish that Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and Don Arden were here to enjoy this moment with me".[3] (The only other remaining member of the Small Faces, Ian McLagan, has long moved to Austin, Texas).
In 2004 The Observer listed the Small Faces' 1968 release Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake one of the "top British albums of all time".[4]
After the departure of lead singer/guitarist Steve Marriott in 1969, the group recruited singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood to replace Marriott. Both were formerly from the Jeff Beck Group. The band changed its name to "Faces", 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.[5]
In early 1979, Jones was invited by Pete Townshend and manager Bill Curbishley to join The Who, replacing their original drummer Keith Moon, who had died at the age of 32. 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 by Paul McCartney, for The Buddy Holly Story), and because he had played with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle on the Tommy soundtrack. He played on the albums Face Dances and It's Hard and on the band's tours from 1979–1982, but was frequently at odds with lead singer Roger Daltrey, who felt that Jones' drumming style was not right for The Who.[6] Jones was replaced by Simon Phillips. In an April 2011 special edition of Uncut magazine, Pete Townshend confirmed that Kenney Jones was both a good and natural choice for the band. Further, Townshend indicated that had he not died, Keith Moon's future tenure with The Who would have been scrutinised due in part to his style not necessarily suiting the proposed direction of the music. Jones played with the band at Live Aid, and made his final appearance with The Who when the group received a lifetime achievement award at the 1988 British Phonographic Industry awards ceremony.
Jones formed partnerships with former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers in the early 1990s, forming a band called The Law.
In 2001, Jones formed a new band; over several months, the line-up solidified to include Rick Wills and Robert Hart. In 2005, The Jones Gang released their debut album, Any Day Now.
Jones has guested as drummer on many recording sessions, which included appearances on albums by the Rolling Stones, Andy Fairweather-Low, Joan Armatrading, Marsha Hunt, Mike Batt, Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, David Essex, John Lodge, and Wings, He was also on a Top of the Pops performance with Status Quo, performing their 1986 hit single, "Red Sky".
Outside of music, Jones is a passionate fan of polo. He has become an accomplished polo player and is the owner of Hurtwood Park Polo Club, in Ewhurst, Surrey.[7]
On behalf of Small Faces and in memory of his late colleagues Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, Jones established a children's charity, the 'Small Faces Charitable Trust', in 1999.[8]
Jones is a supporter of the Conservative Party,and recorded a song called "Mr Brown" written by Robert Hart, criticising the tax policies of the then Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown.[9]
Jones has six children: Dylan (1972), Jesse (1977), Casey (1987), Jay (1989), Cody (1994) and Erin (1997).
He is married to the former model Jayne Andrew, the mother of his latter four children. His parents are Samuel (died 1996) and Violet Jones. Violet Jones still lives in Stepney, East London. Kenney Jones currently lives in Ewhurst, Surrey, England, with his family.
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