Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Grace Jones later moved to New York City, US in the 1970s, in order to attend Syracuse University, where she studied theater. Upon graduating, Jones initially pursued a career as a model, finding many fans of her flamboyant, strikingly tall figure. She became a well known figure in the city's nightclub culture, soon landing a contract with Island Records in 1977.
Quickly becoming a star of the local disco scene, her early releases, 1977's "Portfolio," 1978's "Fame and 1979's "Muse" built Jones a large following amongst the gay community, although she failed to amass any mainstream success. Nonetheless, she became an iconic figure of this time, poised to break into a wider audience.
With the end of the decade, disco's popularity had begun to wane, with Jones looking towards the emerging new wave sound in order to progress her music. 1980's "Warm Leatherette" and 1981's "Nightclubbing" were to be Jones' breakthrough albums, finding international success and entering the charts in a number of European countries. Produced by the reggae duo Sly & Robbie, Jones found hits with the single "Pull Up to the Bumper" and covers of Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" and the Police's "Demolition Man."
After 1972's "Living My Life," Jones took a break from recording music, instead focusing on a growing number of film roles that included "Conan the Destroyer" and the James Bond film, "A View to a Kill." In 1975, she returned with the largely autobiographical "Slave to the Rhythm," enlisting Trevor Horn as producer. The release brought Jones her biggest chart success, which broke into the Top 20 in eight countries.
Teaming up with Chic's Nile Rodgers, Jones released "Inside Story" in 1986, which boasted the hit single, "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You)," which stormed up the charts internationally. Jones began to move away from her music career after the release of 1989's "Bulletproof Heart," focusing on an ever-increasing number of film roles the following decade. Aside from the 1993 single, "Sex Drive," it was not until 1998 that a new release arrived, "Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions," a collection of recordings Jones completed with Sly & Robbie during the early '80s.
In 2008, new material appeared, with "Hurricane" featuring a host of collaborations from Brian Eno, Wendy & Lisa, Tony Allen, amongst others. Three years later, the album was re-released with a bonus disc of dubs from producer Ivor Guest. Forever the performer, Jones continued to perform frequently, appearing regularly at festivals, as well as performing at the prestigious event for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
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Charli XCX
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