Donell Jones is Back

His voice knocked us off our feet with his soulful rendition of a Stevie Wonder classic in 1996. Then in 1999, he blazed the R&B charts with “U Know What’s Up”. And the following year, he made his mark with the hit “Where I Wanna Be”. Now, Donell Jones is back, this time with The Lost Files, his latest CD release.

The 90s represents an era in music that has long-passed, and that notion is not lost on Jones or his fans. “Lots of people [hit] me up on Twitter and MySpace about how much they miss the 90s R&B. A lot of people love that era. A lot of music now is about how much money I make and what car I’m driving,” Jones says. “But people like to hear songs about what they’re going through.”

The Chicago-born, Atlanta-based singer/songwriter is known for wrapping his smooth tenor voice around song lyrics to flirt, confess love and lament loss. Rather than slamming listeners with a message, Jones works it subtly, wooing them with his skillful vocals reminiscent of Stevie, Al and Donny. Acknowledging that his style doesn’t necessarily reflect the times, Jones appreciates it and other singers in the same vein nonetheless. “I’m happy that Maxwell, Joe, Chico [DeBarge] and guys like that are back and still making music,” he says. “R&B is missing stories about love and relationships.”



Jones hopes to turn the tide in R&B music with The Lost Files, a collection of songs he recorded “years ago that didn’t make the previous CD”, he says. The CD will be a “prequel” of sorts to his next release, due to drop in 2010. “You will be able to hear the growth in the music,” he said about the two releases. On his current release, Jones has a particular cut, a love song called, “Forever.” “It’s about people who are in love and who want to grow old together.”

A multi-talented artist, Jones plays piano and guitar, write and produces much of his own music. He wrote and produced the title cut off of his Where I Wanna Be release in 2000. The song reached #29 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart and #2 on the R&B chart. Now, he has started his own record label.

“When I was on Jive [Records], I was on there with a lot of other big names. R. Kelly, Usher,” Jones recalls. “I always had to wait. Even if my project was ready, the label always went on their own schedule. And then they didn’t really promote it. It was a lot of politics. My stuff is as good as theirs.”

Today, he calls his own shots.

One of the biggest lessons Jones said he learned about being in the business is to have his own team. “The business is crooked,” Jones warns. “If you are in the music business, get people that you already knew, that you know they will have your best interest. People that the label gives you won’t have the same commitment.”


Jones’ music interests were cultivated at a young age watching his father and uncle sing. “I’ve always wanted to do music,” he says.

Outside the studio and off the stage, Donell Jones is the proud father of four children, who he credits with making him into the man he is today. “They slowed me down and made me become a man sooner,” Jones said. Of the four, one of his daughters seems enthralled with the fact that her dad is a music celebrity. “She wants me to take them to school,” he laughs. “But the others don’t want me to.”

Jones promises his fans that the new CD will be a treat. “Go get it. You’re going to enjoy it,” he says. “It’s for people who miss 90s R&B.”

An artist who truly appreciates his fans, Donell Jones welcomes fans’ feedback on Twitter and MySpace. “It’s actually me responding.”




On the Internet:
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