Bob French (bluegrass musician)
| Buddy Jones | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shelby Gene Jones |
| Born |
February 2, 1937 Montcoal, West Virginia |
| Origin | Beckley, West Virginia |
| Died | August 13, 2014 (age 77) Barton, Vermont |
| Genres | Bluegrass, Folk, Classic Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, song recorder, music distributor |
| Instruments | vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1949-1952, 1958- ~late 1990s |
| Labels | Diplomat, Jessup Records, Vermont Records |
| Associated acts | The Rainbow Valley Boys & Sweetheart, Ralph Jones, Chico & Buddy, Toby Stroud & Jane, Jim Reeves, Scruggs & Flatt |
Shelby Gene "Buddy" Jones (February 2, 1937–August 13, 2014) was a bluegrass musician and songwriter, and music recorder and distributor. He is best known for his performance work with the bluegrass band, Rainbow Valley Boys. He was also the founder of former recording, radio promotion, and record distribution companies B.J. Promotions, Tapes Unlimited, and Northern Music Distribution.
Shelby Gene Jones was born on February 2, 1937 in West Virginia (it is disputed whether Montcoal or Beckley was the town of birth) to Bert and Ethel Jones (née Queener) (born 1902 and 1903 respectively). His paternal grandfather was a Shawnee Native American. He was the youngest of 6 children in the household. He had three step-siblings from his father's previous marriage, Orin; Herbert, Kenneth, and Dolly; and two related siblings; Ralph and Wannita. All of his siblings had been born in Newark, Ohio, but his family had moved to Beckley shortly before he was born. His family, which was quite poor as a result of raising 6 children during Depression Era conditions, lived on a farm until he was 9, at which time the family moved into another house in the same area. Buddy attended the, then relatively new, Woodrow Wilson High School in fall 1949, and went to school there for only three years, with only his sisters as his brothers were already almost adults when he began secondary education. At the age of 11, Buddy's mother, Ethel, taught him and his brothers Ralph and Kenny, songs and how to play some instruments, mainly the guitar. This led to Buddy, Ralph, and some other schoolmates forming their first band the same year.
In 1953, Buddy left Beckly area and traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee where, in 1954, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He served on the ship in name USS Wren (DD-568) from 1954 to 1957 when he was discharged. During Buddy's time on the USS Wren, he contracted a severe case of Scarlet fever that went untreated for a time, eventually causing long-term effects including excessive hair-loss.
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