| Tad Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 19, 1952 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | January 1, 2007 (aged 54) |
| Occupation | music historian |
Thaddeus Bunol Jones (19 September 1952 – 1 January 2007) was a music historian and researcher best known for discovering Louis Armstrong's correct birth date, August 4, 1901.
Tad Jones was a native and resident of New Orleans, Louisiana and a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans. He developed an interest in the music and history of New Orleans at a young age, and was doing important oral history interviews with musicians while still in his teens.
He made significant contributions to research on rhythm & blues, early rock & roll and jazz. He taught a popular and well-presented course on the history of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues at University of New Orleans in the late 1980s.
His other activities included managing music publishing for The Radiators. He served as the program organizer of the Satchmo Summerfest, an annual conference held to celebrate Louis Armstrong's birthday, which brings a choice roster of scholars and fans to New Orleans each year on August 4. Jones was also responsible for conducting numerous interviews with musicians from every period and style of New Orleans music, many of which are housed in the William Ransom Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University. He also served as consultant for a number of documentaries and films. Jones was also one of the founding members of the Tipitina's Foundation, formed after the death of Professor Longhair in 1980.
He died unexpectedly on January 1, 2007 from a fall. He was interred in Metairie Cemetery with a "jazz funeral".
Jones was co-author of Up from the Cradle of Jazz with Jason Berry and Johnathan Foose. His long anticipated book on the early life of Louis Armstrong was almost complete when he died, and is expected to see publication.