Jona Lewie joined his first group, the Johnston City Jazz Band, while still at school in 1963, and by 1968 had become a blues and boogie singer and piano player.

Other compositions in 1969 were for the album These Blues Is Meant to Be Barrel Housed on the Yazoo/Blue Goose label in New York, still as a solo artist known as John Lewis.

In 1969, he became acquainted with the blues band Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, which was holding a residency at London's Studio 51 club, joining as a vocalist and piano player.

[2] Brett Marvin signed to the Robert Stigwood Organisation agency in 1970, and Jona Lewie, as part of the band, appeared on television in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands, and in 1971 performed in a concert with Son House and supported Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos on a UK tour.

[2] After the demise of Terry Dactyl, Lewie continued to write and make records, now as a solo artist for Sonet, between 1974 and 1976 including the titles "Piggy Back Sue"[5] and "The Swan",[6] which were both played by BBC Radio London disc jockey Charlie Gillett, who would regularly feature them on his Honky Tonk radio show.

The band members included Iain "Thumper" Thompson, who went on to help form the successful chart act Darts, the guitarist Martin Stone and drummer Wilgar Campbell.

English boogie-woogie players of the period would often drop in to spend time with him, comparing notes and discussing styles.

In 1980, following appearances on the Stiff package tours, he had a solo hit with the synthpop number "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" co-written with fellow Brett Marvin member Keef Trouble, which he occasionally performed live with Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals.

In 2010 and 2011, both tracks achieved prominent positions in an all-time German chart that appeared in a high ratings TV show.

During the 1990s, Lewie appeared with solo public performances on a 60-day UK tour as guest of the Blues Band, playing venues such as theatres and civic centres, while occasionally playing one-off gigs such as that at the Hackney Empire, London and taking part in occasional radio and television broadcasts.