Grace Jones
By: Cerone White
On this day in Caribbean History May 19, 1948, singer, songwriter, lyricist, supermodel, record producer, and actress Grace Jones was born. Jones was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica and raised by her grandparents. She began her career in modeling at the age of thirteen when she moved with her siblings to her parent’s home in Syracuse New York where her modeling career took her Paris, and finally landed her on the cover of Elle, Vogue and Stern working with Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer. At the age of 18, Jones was signed on as a model with Wilhelmina Modelling Agency and shortly thereafter she moved back to Paris. Jones looks were unique in an industry where to be different is a good thing. Jones was regarded as a pioneer in the modeling industry; however, life for her was not a fairy-tale traveling from Spanish Town, Jamaica to Syracuse NY. Jones experienced hard times with her family which led her to be a go-go dancer for a short period of time and also succumb to LSD and other drugs.
Jones transitioned from modeling to music in 1974 and was signed by Island Record with her first record “Portfolio” released in 1977 and going on to release nine more studio albums. Jones 1981 studio album Nightclubbing is regarded as her best studio album entered in the Top 5 in four countries and became Jones’ highest-ranking record on the US Billboard mainstream albums and R&B charts. After many successes in the music industry Jones turned her sights to acting and appeared in over 19 movies to include the James Bond film A View To A Kill, and Boomerang where she played alongside Eddie Murphy. She has appeared in a video game titled Hell:Cyberpunk Thriller where she played Solene Solux. She has also had stage work credits which include The Wiz where she played Evillene in the US Touring Revival.
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