Louis Prince Jones, Jr. (April 28, 1931 – June 27, 1984), credited as Louis Jones or Louis (Blues Boy) Jones, was an American R&B singer, songwriter and musician who recorded in the 1950s and 1960s.

Life

He was born in

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

, the son of Rebecca Prince Jackson and Louis Jones, Sr. He began singing with his mother in their church choir, and learned to play piano and drums. After attending Central High School in Galveston, he served as a medic with the US Army during the Korean War under the name Louis Prince, and worked as a longshoreman and shipyard worker. In the early 1950s he moved to Houston to live with his brother, and soon began singing backing vocals on recordings produced by

Don Robey Don Deadric Robey (November 1, 1903 – June 16, 1975) was an American record label executive, songwriter, and record producer. As the founder of Peacock Records and the eventual owner of Duke Records, he was responsible for developing the caree ...

at Peacock Records. Jones made his first recording, "Rock and Roll Bells", for Peacock in 1956. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described the song as "a new R&B gimmick that should occasion a lot of interest. The shouter hears tinkling bells and acts as if he is going mad. The unusual backing carries the spirit thru effectively..." The record was one of the 26 discs included in Elvis Presley's first record collection, sold at auction in 2010. Jones also worked as a backup singer on many of Robey's productions for the Peacock and Duke labels in the late 1950s, including recordings by Bobby "Blue" Bland and "Big Mama" Thornton. He performed and toured with the Bobby Scott Orchestra, and sang back-up for singer Maxine Brown, playing in New York City and in a residency in Bermuda. His recording career continued in the early 1960s. When in New York in 1963 he recorded "The Birds Is Coming" for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

– adopting the movie company's advertising slogan for

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's film '' The Birds'' – and also recorded a version of Ray Charles' " I Believe to My Soul", on Bobby Robinson's Enjoy label. Returning to Texas, he recorded his own songs "Come on Home" and "I'll Be Your Fool" for

Lelan Rogers Lelan Edward Rogers (June 9, 1928 – July 22, 2002) was an American record producer and record company executive. He was born in Cherokee County, Texas, United States, the eldest in a family of eight; which included his brother, singer Kenn ...

' Houston-based Sabra label. Jones was married twice. He died in 1984 at the age of 53, following a stroke the previous year, and was buried in

Lakeview Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

in Galveston. His reputation as a "great R&B singer" grew after his death, and most of his recordings are available on YouTube.

Discography

*"Rock and Roll Bells" / "All Over, Goodbye" (Peacock 1663) *"The Birds Is Coming" / "That's Cuz I Love You" (Decca 31500) *"I Believe to My Soul" / "Hurry Baby" (Enjoy 2009) *"I'll Be Your Fool" / "Someway, Somewhere" (Sabra 519) *"Come On Home" / "I Cried" (Sabra 524)

References

External links

LaVern Lemons, ''The Re-Introduction of a Blues Legend: A Daughter’s Amazing Discovery 23 Years Later'', 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Louis (Blues Boy) 1931 births 1984 deaths African-American pianists American blues pianists American male pianists American rhythm and blues musicians Musicians from Galveston, Texas 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians