Shirley Jones is celebrating her 69th birthday today.
She, of course, was a member of The Jones Girls with sisters Brenda and
Valorie. Sadly, Shirley is the only surviving member of the trio. Valorie died in
2001 aged 45 and Brenda was killed in a road accident in 2017 aged 62.
The Jones Girls were from Detroit and debuted on GM records
in 1970 and released a further seven singles (3 on Holland, Dozier,
Holland's Music Merchant, 2 on Paramount and 2 on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom
label) before their first R&B chart hit "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" in 1979 (their only Billboard Hot 100 entry) after they were signed by
Gamble & Huff to Philadelphia International Records. They were also
backing singers for Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and Teddy Pendergrass
amongst many others.
Shirley went solo when The Jones Girls disbanded in 1984 and her
first solo single "Do You Get Enough Love" topped the US R&B chart in 1986. She released two further
singles and an album for Philadelphia International Records. It was
another eight years before she recorded again in 1994.
In more recent years she has released a further three albums, one a
live album with Jean Carn and Cherelle in 2007 followed by "Feels Like Heaven" (2010) and "My Time To Shine" (2015). She has also released two singles this year, the first with
Lenny Williams "Can't Nobody Do Me Like You Do" and a remix of her 2021 single "Soul Steppin' Soul Syndicate Remix".
Shirley is currently performing international live dates and will
be appearing in the UK this month (Sep. 2022).
Below is a playlist of thirty of her best recordings more or less
split 50/50 between her solo recordings and as part of The Jones
Girls in roughly reverse chronological order.
There are also videos for a live performance on Soul Train with her
1986 #1 R&B hit "Do You Get Enough Love" and taking lead on some vintage footage of The Jones
Girls "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else", the flip "Who Can I Run To" in 1979 and "Dance Turned Into Romance".
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Listen to "Always In The Mood" the only album on Philadelphia Records and find this inimitable voice which made the success with his 2 sisters. She will forever be remembered!!!
ReplyDeleteYves