Kennedy Jones

Kennedy Jones or Jonesey (1 August 1900 - 6 September 1990) was a guitarist and music writer. ^{[http://www.gfga.org/news0798.pdf The FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST Vol 2 No 2 July 1998] ] He was a pioneer of the "thumb picking" style often associated with Bluegrass music.}

He was born on a farm in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He received his inspiration from his mother Alice who played several instruments. He married Irene Hicks, a pianist, and they performed together early in his career. He claimed to be the first guitarist to play using a thumbpick - at a square dance in 1918. Previously blisters had been used only for the banjo or hawaiian guitar. He also played the fiddle and declined to join Merle Travis's band "The Drifting Pioneers."^{The FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST Vol 2 No 2 July 1998]}

Jones composed the thumbpickers anthem Cannonball Rag, but, when Travis recorded the tune in the 1940's, the latter received the credit.^{The FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST Vol 2 No 2 July 1998]}

In 1939 Jones moved to "Chi town". He played in several bands, one which included his sons, Donald and Kennedy Jr. His daughter Farre Lee too was an accomplished guitarist/singer, she regularly performed on radio station WLW. In the 1950s Jones moved to Cincinnati close to his daughter.^{The FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST Vol 2 No 2 July 1998]}

Travis, Mose Rager and Ike Everly all claim to have been influenced by Jonesey.^{The FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST Vol 2 No 2 July 1998] All four men were honored by the construction of "The Four Legends Fountain" in Drakesboro, Kentucky}

He is buried at Bridgetown cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.^{The FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST Vol 2 No 2 July 1998]}

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