Kelly Jones biography
Kelly Jones (born 3 June 1974) is a Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist and the lead singer of the band Stereophonics. Influenced by classic rock bands such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and the Sex Pistols,
Early life and début
Jones lived in the village of Cwmaman, near Aberdare, where he became friends with neighbours, Stuart Cable and Richard Jones and they formed a covers band together. Showing a talent for writing in his youth, he considered being a scriptwriter before being a musician and studied film at college. The BBC showed an interest in some of his early work but, as the band progressed from a cover band to writing their original material, he decided to use his narrative side more towards writing lyrics. Jones also flirted with the idea of boxing as a career and was a successful boxer at youth level. Much of his early life is documented in the Stereophonics debut album, including his account of his teen years on a market stall. These are documented in
More Life in a Tramps Vest from the Stereophonics first album released in 1997,
Word Gets Around.
In 1996 Stereophonics were the first band to be signed to Richard Branson's new Virgin Records label V2. Their debut EP Looks Like Chaplin did not have enough copies made to enter the charts and their next single Local Boy in the Photograph was one place shy of making the UK Top 50. However, their debut LP Word Gets Around did however make it to #6 in the UK Album chart. Fellow Welsh band Manic Street Preachers put the band as support on their 1996-97 tour.
In February 1998, they received a Brit Award for Best New Group, the same week as a re-issue of Local Boy in the Photograph made number 14 in the charts and their first album went gold in the UK, selling over 100,000 copies. During that year Stereophonics had tours in Europe, Australia and the USA. They performed a concert on 12 June 1998 at Cardiff Castle in front of 10 on a cover of the Randy Newman song Mama Told Me Not To Come for his album Reload.
After another tour, they re-entered the studios and recorded Just Enough Education to Perform, containing the single Mr. Writer and Have a Nice Day, Step On My Old Size Nines and a cover of Rod Stewart's version of Handbags & Gladrags. They also recorded their biggest audience to date when they played to 80,000 in Slane Castle in Ireland and ending with a Christmas show at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, supported by Feeder and Ocean Colour Scene - who they had supported years before.
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They released their fourth studio album You Gotta Go There to Come Back with songs like Maybe Tomorrow and Madame Helga and a re-worked song that had not been completed in time - Moviestar. They re-issued the album with this track included.
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