by Charlotte DillonOne of the founding members of the legendary group Led Zeppelin, John Paul Jones started life on January 3, 1946, in London, England. In the turbulent years since then, he has left his mark on rock & roll music history as an innovative musician, arranger, and director.
In 1960, when Jones was only 14 years old, he became a member of his father's dance band. This time under his father's watchful eye gave him a chance to gain experience and confidence. A year later, Jones formed his first band and by the next year, he began to travel and perform professionally at an age when school alone can apply too much pressure on a teen. By the mid-'60s, he had served for other groups as director and arranger, as well as bassist and keyboardist. His remarkable credits from that early period include amazing groups like the Rolling Stones, the Outlaws, Jeff Beck, Mickey Most, the Yardbirds, the Mindbenders, the Everly Brothers, and the Supremes.
In 1968, Jones was chosen by Jimmy Page to help put together a new group that would be known as Led Zeppelin. In less than a dozen years, Jones, as a member of Zeppelin, made one movie, recorded nine full-length albums that gave the world of rock & roll something to think over, and completed close to 30 exhausting tours.
When Led Zeppelin ended in 1980, Jones continued his musical career. He began to produce and arrange albums for other artists, he also wrote songs, and then film scores for movies likes Scream for Help, Risk, and The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb. In 1996, Jones saw the construction of his own studio completed. Two years later he finally recorded a solo debut album, Zooma. "Smile of Your Shadow," "Bass 'N' Drums," and "Grind" are a few of the tracks from this first noteworthy solo offering.