Buddy Jones (bluegrass musician)

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Shelby Gene "Buddy" Jones (February 2, 1937 – August 13, 2014) was an American bluegrass musician, 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.

Early life

Shelby Gene Jones was born on February 2, 1937, in West Virginia in Montcoal to Bert and Ethel Jones (née Queener) (born 1902 and 1903 respectively). He was the youngest of 6 children in the household. He had five siblings, brothers Ralph, Herbert, and Kenneth; and two sisters Dolly and Juanita. All of his siblings had been born in Newark, Ohio, but his family had moved to Beckley shortly before he was born. Jones attended Woodrow Wilson High School in fall 1949, and attended for three years, with only his sisters as his brothers were already almost adults when he began secondary education. At the age of 11, Jones' mother, taught him how to play some instruments, mainly the guitar.

Military service

In 1953, Jones left the Beckly area and traveled to

Music career

Early career (1949–1960)

After the war, Jones continued what he had started in 1949, and began pursuing a music career again. He recorded, sang, played guitar, and eventually produced for and promoted clients. He and his brother Ralph both became songwriters and had hits that were on the charts during the same time. While he and his brother did not always actually record their songs, their music has also been recorded and reproduced by various artists such as Kitty Wells, Marty Robbins, Janie Fricke, Hank Lockin, and Patsy Cline. Jones also played with various artists such as; Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell, Earl Scruggs & Lester Flatt, Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves, and George Jones.

In 1958 he joined the bands Toby Stroud & Jane and The Blue Mountain Boys and also did performances with affiliated musicians

Success (1961–1983)

Rainbow Valley Boys and Sweetheart

In 1961, Jones and his close friends

When Buddy returned from his military service in 1958, he moved to Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

In 1962 he married his first wife, Bernice Young and in 1969 they moved to Hartland, Vermont. He continued recording music there for several years. In 1975 they divorced. They had one child, Denise.

In 1976 he started seeing his second wife, Marilyn Morale (née Lafleur) of Hartland. In 1978 they moved to West Burke, Vermont, where they married. Buddy continued his music career along with some activities later with family and friends until he retired. Together they raised 6 children: Steven (1957–2016), Linda (b. 1960), Ralph (b. 1962), Colleen Morale (b. 1964), Denise Agee (b. 1966), and Allan Cowdrey (b. 1971). In 1997 Marilyn and Buddy divorced; the two separated but remained friends, they lived as neighbors in the same town, and in 2003 they began living with each other again. The two still resided in West Burke until he began to develop moderate dementia, his physical health began to worsen in 2012, and he lived in a nursing home in Barton, Vermont, for over a year before his death in August 2014.^[1]

References

External links

• http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/?v=fullrecord&albumid=7833
• http://www.ibiblio.org/hillwilliam/BGdiscography/?v=fullrecord&albumid=16558
• http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/roots/JSP%20Box%20Sets/JSP_Boxes_Country_2.htm Many associated acts mentioned, focus 2nd group
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhK7QT9d21Y