Booker T. Jones Sr. was a science teacher at Memphis High School, providing the family with a relatively stable, lower middle-class lifestyle.

[3] Jones was musically a child prodigy, playing the oboe, saxophone, trombone, double bass, and piano at school and organ at church.

Jones attended Booker T. Washington High School, the alma mater of Rufus Thomas, and collaborated with future stars like Isaac Hayes's writing partner David Porter, saxophonist Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns, soul singer/songwriter William Bell, and Earth, Wind & Fire's singer/songwriter Maurice White.

[citation needed] Jones's entry into professional music came at the age of 16, when he played baritone saxophone on Satellite (soon to be Stax) Records' first hit, "Cause I Love You", by Carla and Rufus Thomas.

's album Green Onions released by Stax Records in 1962: Over the next few years, Jones divided his time between studying classical music composition, composing and transposition at Indiana University, playing with the MGs on the weekends back in Memphis,[5] serving as a session musician with other Stax acts, and writing songs that became widely regarded as classics.

His current touring group includes Vernon "Ice" Black (guitar), Darian Gray (drums), and Melvin Brannon (bass).

Jones also played his B-3 on the track "If It Wasn't For Bad" from the Elton John and Leon Russell 2010 collaboration album titled The Union.

The backing band included Questlove (drums), "Captain" Kirk Douglas (guitar) and Owen Biddle (bass) from the Roots as well as former Motown guitarist Dennis Coffey and percussionist Stewart Killen.

In June 2013, Jones released his 10th album, Sound The Alarm, on Stax Records after originally leaving the label more than 40 years previously in 1971.

On September 1, 2017, Jones performed live at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in a tribute concert honoring the 50th anniversary of Stax Records alongside Steve Cropper, Sam Moore, William Bell and British artists Beverley Knight, Ruby Turner, James Morrison and Tom Jones.

[15] With Priscilla Coolidge With Otis Redding With Sheryl Crow With Eddie Floyd With Willie Nelson With Levon Helm With Taylor Dayne With Albert King With Rosanne Cash With Rod Stewart With William Bell With LeAnn Rimes With Mickey Thomas With Rita Coolidge With Bill Withers With Natalie Cole With Linda Ronstadt With Richie Havens With John Lee Hooker With Elton John and Leon Russell With Neil Young With Shawn Colvin With Boz Scaggs With Rodney Crowell With Steve Perry With Hozier With Matt Berninger