His father, Charlie R Jones, born in Natchez,[2] was a traveling musician, and sang with The Melodiers, a vocal quartet with a guitarist.
He studied at Tennessee State University, initially a pre-med major, switching to music theory and composition.
[3] In 1964, he moved to New York City and changed his name to Olu Dara,[4][5] which means "The Lord is good" in the Yoruba language.
[5] In the 1970s and '80s he played alongside David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Hamiet Bluiett, Don Pullen, Charles Brackeen, James Blood Ulmer, and Cassandra Wilson.
[1][4] His first album, In the World: From Natchez to New York (1998), revealed another aspect of his musical personality: the leader and singer of a band immersed in African-American tradition, playing an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, and storytelling, with tinges of funk, African popular music, and reggae.