Jill Jones facts for kids

Jill Jones (born July 11, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She became famous for singing backup for artists like Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s. Jill is especially known for her work with Prince, which included her first album, Jill Jones, released in 1987. Since 2001, she has put out several albums, including her most recent one, I Am, in 2016.

Jill Jones's Early Life and Start in Music

Jill Jones was born in Lebanon, Ohio, on July 11, 1962. Her mother was a fashion model, and her father was a jazz drummer. Jill was mostly raised by her grandparents. Later, she moved to Los Angeles when her mother got married again.

Jill started her singing career when she was just 15 years old. She became a backup singer for Teena Marie, whose mother was also Jill's manager. This was her first step into the music world.

Working with Prince and First Album

Jill met Prince in 1980 when she was 18. Teena Marie was opening for Prince's Dirty Mind tour. Prince really liked Jill's voice and encouraged her to keep singing. They stayed in touch after the tour.

In 1982, Prince invited Jill to his recording studio. She sang backup vocals for several songs on his album 1999. She was listed in the credits simply as "J.J." Jill also appeared in music videos for songs like "1999" and "Little Red Corvette". After the tour, she moved to Minneapolis and continued to work closely with Prince.

Jill also had small acting roles in Prince's movies. She played a waitress in Purple Rain (1984) and appeared in the sequel Graffiti Bridge (1990).

Her first album, Jill Jones, came out in 1987 on Prince's record label, Paisley Park Records. Prince wrote all the songs on the album, but he shared the songwriting credit with Jill. The first song from the album, "Mia Bocca," became a top 10 hit in Italy in July 1987, reaching number 6. Critics liked the album, but it didn't sell a lot of copies.

Other Music Projects and Collaborations

After her first album, Jill recorded many demo songs in London in the late 1980s. These included tracks like "Deep Kiss" and "Tango." In 1989, she sang a song called "The Ground You Walk On" for the movie soundtrack Earth Girls Are Easy.

She also recorded songs for a possible second album on Paisley Park, and a music video was even made for a song called "Boom Boom." However, this album was never officially released. In 1993, she put out a dance single called "Bald."

Jill sang backup for the group Apollonia 6. She also sang lead vocals on a song called "You Do Me" for Japanese artist Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1990. Jill also contributed a version of Blondie's "Call Me" to an album honoring Giorgio Moroder. She also wrote and helped produce a song called "The Great Pretender" for Lisa Lisa.

In 1996, Jill toured as a lead singer with the band Chic, alongside Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. You can hear her on Chic's 1999 album, "Live at the Budokan."

The Prince song "She's Always in My Hair," which was the B-side to his 1985 single "Raspberry Beret," was written about Jill Jones.

Jill Jones's Solo Career and Recent Music

Since 2001, Jill Jones has been performing acoustic rock music. She has also created modern dance tracks.

In 2000, Jill sang on a cover of Carly Simon's "Why" for Ronny Jordan's album A Brighter Day. She also contributed a cover of Blondie's "Call Me" to a tribute album. This song was later released as a single with different remixes.

In 2001, Jill released her second album, Two, with musician Chris Bruce. She also sang lead vocals on the 2004 album Wasted, which was credited to The Grand Royals featuring Jill Jones. She also worked with the dance group Funky Junction on the single "Someone to Jump Up."

In 2009, Jill released "Living for the Weekend." Even though her albums Wasted and Two are no longer printed, you can still find them on the iTunes Store, along with "Living for the Weekend."

In 2014, she released the single "This Is How It Feels" with the Italian techno group Get Far. In 2015, Jill shared the song "Forbidden Love" online. This song is from her dance album, I Am, which was released in February 2016. Today, Jill keeps in touch with her fans through her pages on Twitter and Facebook.

Jill Jones's Albums

• Jill Jones (1987), Paisley Park
• Two (2001), Dav Music
• Wasted (2004), Peace Bisquit
• I Am (2016), Peace Bisquit

Jill Jones's Singles

• "Mia Bocca" (1987), Paisley Park (Reached No. 6 in Italy)
• "For Love" (1987), Paisley Park
• "Bald" (1993), Flying Records
• "Call Me" (2000), Cause-N-ff-ct Records
• "Station" (2001), Dav
• "Someone to Jump Up" (2008)
• "Living for the Weekend" (2009)
• "This Is How It Feels" (2014), with Get Far
• "Forbidden Love" (2015)