Barbara Jones
Birth nameBarbara Nation
Bornc. 1952
Kingston, Jamaica
Died19 December 2014 (aged 62)
Kingston, Jamaica
GenresReggae, gospel
Years active1971–2014
LabelsTrojan, GG's, Dynamic, VP

Barbara Nation (c. 1952 – 19 December 2014), better known as Barbara Jones, was a Jamaican singer who had a UK hit single in 1981 with "Just When I Needed You Most".

Career

Born in Kingston and raised in Manchester, Jamaica, she began her career in 1971 with the single "Sad Movies".[1] She had her greatest success in January 1981 with "Just When I Needed You Most", which reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

She toured as backing singer with Jimmy Cliff in the late 1970s and early 1980s;[1] In 1991, she became a devout Christian and gave up secular music to concentrate on gospel music.[1][3]

After becoming ill in London, she was diagnosed with leukaemia in February 2014.[1] She returned to reggae with performances in Brazil with Lloyd Parks.[4] Her health deteriorated and she died in Kingston's University Hospital of the West Indies on 19 December 2014, from pneumonia contracted during chemotherapy treatments. She was 62 years old.[1][5]

Jones was once described as "the Billie Holliday of reggae music".[6]

Discography

Compilations

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Campbell, Howard (2014) "Gospel singer Barbara Jones dies at 62", Jamaica Observer, 23 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014
  2. ^ "Barbara Jones", Official Charts Company; retrieved 24 December 2014
  3. ^ Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013) "Barbara Jones still giving thanks", Jamaica Observer, 17 March 2013; retrieved 24 December 2014.
  4. ^ Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2014) "Barbara Jones gets her groove back in Brazil", Jamaica Observer, 8 June 2014; retrieved 24 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Gospel Singer Barbara Jones Is Dead", Jamaica Gleaner, 19 December 2014; retrieved 24 December 2014
  6. ^ Hebdige, Dick (1987) Cut `n' Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music, Routledge; ISBN 978-0415058759, p. 121
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