Gary Edward Jones Music

Gary Edward Jones Biography Gary Edward Jones typifies the growing mood in Liverpool of acts who want to prove that the city and its surrounding areas are the true musical heartbeat of the U.K. After being given his brothers guitar at the age of 11, he began to write songs and melodies within a year and, whilst he was raised on the musical exports that were coming out of the United States, the seeds for Gary’s developing and blossoming talent, were sown. Sounds that emanated from Motown, the legends that were John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Louis Armstrong, Elvis, the power of American Folk duo Simon and Garfunkel and New Zealand’s Crowded House all made a strong impression on the future musician. Whilst studying woodcarving and cabinet making, Gary’s passion for music never waned and at eighteen he joined a band called Day Without Rain, rehearsing in the Pentagon in Widnes and performing at the iconic venues, London’s Mean Fiddler and Covent Garden’s Rock Garden. The capital became an important part of Gary’s life in his mid-twenties and, like a lot of young people, the lure of London broadened his musical outlook, with new influences that filtered through into his playing. The best art imitates life and Gary soaked up the atmosphere of the capital for the next five years, a time which saw the twin events of the joyous birth of his son and the breakdown of the relationship with the mother of his child. These incredible highs and lows brought about a drive to write more and more original songs. In 2003 Gary visited his friend Alister in Las Vegas and played his songs at a handful of open-mic nights to rapturous response. On the back of this, Gary was invited to play at the Palms Hotel Acoustic Asylum. The three encores that followed were an artist’s dream and, for a British musician abroad in America, a compliment that takes some beating. Things started to move forward for Gary in 2006 at an awards night at the Crown Plaza, where he was approached by Spencer Lee with an invitation to appear on his radio show. He was also put in touch with Everly Brothers producer, Stuart Coleman, who encouraged Gary to continue to pursue his dream. In 2007 he recorded with Mike Cave and producer, Ian Greenwood, at Mikes loft studio, recording ‘Mr Lonely Times’ and ‘Freefalling’. For the session they had the good fortune to work with Thea Gilmore and Steve Barney, Annie Lennox’s drummer, and the pair have remained great friends to this day. More recently Gary has been immersing himself in the Northwest folk scene, with regular performances at The Cornmarket Acoustic Club, The Hungry Horse Acoustic night and The Raven Folk Club in Chester, amongst many others. A chance meeting with John Williams has led to not only a good friendship but also many opportunities to share his music, supporting Spires and Boden as part of their ‘Backyard UK Tour, regular performances with cellist and composer, Luke Moore and continued support from local promoter, Sean Redmond. Gary is currently recording an album, a collection of songs that encapsulate his journey over the last three decades. His music is infectious, his love of life and Liverpool even more so. For this quiet man, music makes all the difference to a person’s life, and as he has put himself more and more into the heart of the music capital of the U.K., his reputation in the city has seen him enjoy being considered one of the great unsigned artists in the country. Gary may now be in his forties but that early passion, the spark of artistic beauty that started at the age of 11 has never left him and grown so much over time. A musician to savour and enjoy. Words by Ian D Hall Singer Songwriter from Liverpool