Howard Jones is an interesting pop star. One might even call him somewhat unusual because of his instruments of choice. Like other pop stars, Jones is a good singer. However, instead of wielding a guitar, he has always a been a synthesizer man with a little keytar thrown in for on-stage mobility. That, and his MTV-ready hair, are what set him apart from the pack in the 1980s.
Born John Howard Jones in the UK, he spent his teen years in Canada. He played in various bands there and back in the UK as a university student before striking out on his own as a solo artist. Jones released his debut album, Human’s Lib, in 1984 and it did very well in the UK. But it was his second album, Dream into Action, that brought Jones even greater worldwide success. The singles “Things Can Only Get Better” and “No One Is to Blame” were both top-5 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the mid-’80s.
As one of the leading artists of the ’80s synth-pop movement, Howard Jones was included in the lineup of the historic Live Aid event in 1985. But I always felt he should have been a bigger star and never understood any negativity toward him. Jones has said he’s proud that he wasn’t loved by the media. He told the Daily Telegraph that it was more important for him to write songs “about positive thinking and challenging people’s ideas” than to get good reviews.
You can catch Howard Jones on tour with Culture Club and Berlin at PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte this summer. Click here for details.
