Jones gained a certain notoriety in 1993, after being convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of another blues musician, Boston Blackie.
[3] During those formative years he saw both Sonny Boy Williamson II and Boyd Gilmore perform at a little club named Jack Rabbitts in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
He began to perform locally but got lucky when his musical hero, Howlin' Wolf, allowed Jones to sit in with him at concerts.
[1] By the early 1970s, Jones had become a full-time singer and he used notable backing musicians, including Willie Kent, Hubert Sumlin, Carey Bell, Kansas City Red,[5] Little Mack Simmons, Big Leon Brooks, and Eddie Shaw.
Jones claimed he acted in self-defense, but was convicted of second-degree murder and was incarcerated for 17 months of a four-year prison sentence.