Grace Jones

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Grace Jones


Img_capt = Grace Jones live at the Tivoli Gardens, 22 June 2007
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Grace Mendoza
Born = birth date and age|1948|5|19
Origin = Spanish Town, Jamaica
Occupation = Singer, songwriter, actress, supermodel
Voice_type = Contralto [ [http://www.gracejones.org/grace-jones-trivia-2.php Grace Jones trivia.] ]
Genre = Disco, New Wave, soul, dance-pop, dance, dancehall
Years_active = 1973 - present
Label = Island Records, Manhattan Records, Capitol, Wall of Sound/Pias Records
Instrument = Vocals

Grace Jones (born May 19, 1948 )cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=THE SCURRA|pages=|work=The Mirror|date=2002-05-21|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-86118771.html|accessdate=2007-12-10] is a Jamaican–American singer, model and actress.

Biography

Early life

Jones was born Grace Mendoza in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the daughter of Marjorie and Robert W. Jones, who was a politician and Apostolic clergyman.cite news|last=Gadoua|first=Renee K.|coauthors=|title=CRUSADE TO SEEK CNY "UNCHURCHED'; TWO-DAY REVIVAL WITH TWO WELL-KNOWN PREACHERS HOPES TO DRAW 14,000 TO ONCENTER|pages=|work=The Post-Standard|date=2003-04-20|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-100430610.html|accessdate=2007-12-10] [cite news|last=Yakir|first=Dan|coauthors=|title=Tough roles come easy to Grace Jones; Imposing artist leaves menacing mark on 'Vamp'|pages=|publisher="Chicago Sun-Times" |date=1986-07-13 | url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36D131C07F658&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=2007-12-10] [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/38/Grace-Jones.html Grace Jones Biography (1952?-)] ] Her parents took Grace and her brother Christian, to relocate to Syracuse, New York in 1965. Before becoming a successful model in New York City and Paris, Jones studied theatre at Syracuse University.

Musical career

Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance club hits and a large gay following. The three disco albums she recorded — "Portfolio" (1977), "Fame" (1978), and "Muse" (1979) — generated considerable success in that market. These albums consisted of pop melodies, such as "All on a Summer's Night" and "Do or Die", set to a disco beat, as well as standards such as "What I Did for Love", "Autumn Leaves", and "Send in the Clowns".

During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, who photographed her extensively. Jones also accompanied him to famed New York City nightclub Studio 54 on many occasions.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to create a different style for herself. Still with Island, and now working with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell, she released the acclaimed albums "Warm Leatherette" (1980) and "Nightclubbing" (1981). These included re-imaginings of songs by Sting, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Flash and the Pan, The Normal, Ástor Piazzolla and Tom Petty.

Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual makeover, created in partnership with stylist Jean-Paul Goude, with whom she had a son. Jones adopted a severe, androgynous look, with square-cut hair and angular, padded clothes. The iconic cover photographs of "Nightclubbing" and, subsequently, "Slave to the Rhythm" (1985) exemplified this new identity. To this day, Jones is known for her unique look at least as much as she is for her music. Her collaboration with Sadkin and Blackwell continued with the dub reggae-influenced album "Living My Life".

In the mid-1980s, she worked with Trevor Horn for the conceptual musical collage "Slave to the Rhythm" and with producer Nile Rodgers for "Inside Story" (1986) - her first album after leaving the Island Records label. The well-received "Slave to the Rhythm" consisted of several re-workings of the title track (the single of which hit #12 in the UK), while "Inside Story" produced her last Billboard Hot 100 hit to date, "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You)", one of several songs she co-wrote with Bruce Woolley. [ [https://www.harryfox.com/public/songfile.jsp HFA’s Songfile &reg ] ] "Bulletproof Heart" (1989) spawned the #1 U.S. Hot Dance Club Play hit "Love on Top of Love" / "Killer Kiss", produced by C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivilles.

Although she has yet to become a truly mainstream recording artist in the United States (with the exception of her featured work on the Arcadia hit single "Election Day"), much of her musical output is still popular on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay charts, and many of her songs are regarded as classics to this day. Jones was able to find mainstream success in the United Kingdom, scoring a number of Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart. To date, she has released 45 singles (commercial and/or promotional), including several non-album tracks.

Voice

Grace Jones is a contralto vocalist. [ [http://www.gracejones.org/grace-jones-trivia-2.php Grace Jones trivia.] ] While her image became more notable than her voice, she is in fact a highly stylized vocalist. She sings in two modes: her monotone speak-sing as in songs like "Private Life", "Walking in the Rain", and "The Apple Stretching", and in an almost soprano mode in such songs as "La Vie en Rose" and "Slave to the Rhythm". [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k14u7nHmY9I YouTube - Grace Jones - La Vie en Rose (2006) ] ] Her vocal range spans two-and-a-half octaves. She contributed significant vocals to Arcadia's 1985 hit single, "Election Day", from the album "So Red the Rose", as well as their subsequent single, "The Flame".

=Style and

Grace Jones' masculine appearance, height (5' 10½" or 1.79 m) and manner influenced the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s. She would also exemplify the "Flat Top", a hairstyle popular among men in the late-80s, which she displayed on the cover of her first non-disco album, 1980's "Warm Leatherette".

She maintained parallel recording and acting careers, and modeling work often overshadowed her musical output. Her strong visual presence extended to her concert tours. In her performances, she adopted various personas and wore outlandish costumes, particularly during her years with Goude. One such performance was at the Paradise Garage in 1985, wherein she collaborated with visual artist Keith Haring for her costume. Haring painted her body in tribal patterns and fitted her with wire armor. [ [http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/GraceJones.html Grace Jones ] ] The muralist also painted her body for the video to "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect for You)".

Recent career

Jones recorded two albums during the 1990s but they remain unreleased thus far: in 1994 she was due to release an electro album titled "Black Marilyn" with artwork featuring the singer as Marilyn Monroe; in 1998 she was scheduled to release an album entitled "Force of Nature".Fact|date=June 2008 Also in 1998 she sang the title track for the film remake of cult TV series "The Avengers". The song "Storm" was written and produced by Bruce Woolley, Chris Elliott and Marius DeVries and was performed with [http://www.myspace.com/brucewoolley The Radio Science Orchestra] .

In 2000, Jones cut "The Perfect Crime", an up-tempo song for Danish TV written by the composer duo Floppy M. On May 28, 2002, Jones performed onstage with Italian opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti during Pavarotti's annual "Pavarotti and Friends" concert to support the United Nations refugee agency's programmes for Angolan refugees in Zambia. The concert was held in Modena, Italy and Jones and Pavarotti were accompanied by the 70-strong Orchestra Sinfonica Italiana, conducted by Jose Molina. [ [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/AllDocsByUNID/396691a0b8518b56c1256bc2005077d3 Relief Web: Pavarotti and friends to stage concert for Angolan refugees.] ]

In November 2004, Jones sang her hit "Slave to the Rhythm" at a tribute concert for Trevor Horn at Wembley Arena. She received rave reviews, despite having been absent in the music scene for some time.Fact|date=February 2007 In February 2006, Jones was the celebrity runway model for Diesel's show in New York.

On October 20 2006, the 3 CD compilation "The Ultimate Collection" was released in Europe by the CCM label. On November 3 2006, Jones took part in a gathering of people sharing the surname, performing "Slave to the Rhythm" and "Pull up to the Bumper" to a large crowd of Joneses. 1,224 people were gathered that day at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, breaking the previous record for the largest surname-based gathering. [http://www.jones.tv/Default.aspx?lc=English]

Producer Ivor Guest confirmed that Jones had completed recording of her new album in 2007. [ [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=100060502 MySpace.com - Ivor Guest - London - Autre - www.myspace.com/ivorguest ] ] Nick Hooker has directed the first video from the upcoming album. [ [http://www.nickhooker.com/news.html nick hooker ] ] Other participants on the new album include Sly and Robbie, Brian Eno, Bruce Woolley, Tricky and Tony Allen. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003574416 Ask Billboard ] ] In April 2007, Version2 listed "Corporate Cannibal" as the new video directed by Nick Hooker for Grace Jones. [ [http://feed.stashmedia.tv/pr-feed/ Pr Feed ] ] On June 22, 2007, Jones performed in Copenhagen at Tivoli Gardens theme park. Tivoli's website mentioned the title of her new album as "Corporate Cannibal", without confirming a release date. [ [http://www.tivoli.dk/composite-6008.htm Fødselsdagskoncert ] ]

Jones was part of the line-up for Massive Attack's Meltdown at the Southbank Centre in London, taking place 14 June – 22 June 2008. Jones received positive reviews across many UK newspapers for her comeback show as part of the Meltdown festival on June 19, and previewed many new songs from her first album of new material in almost 20 years.cite news|title=Grace Jones performs at Meltdown|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7465083.stm] Jones is also to perform at the relaunch of Elandra Resort in Mission Beach in Cairns, Queensland on 28 June 2008, her first performance in Australia in many years.Fact|date=June 2008. Grace headlined the Belgian Lokerse Feesten on August 8, 2008 with a full 2-hour show similar to the one at meltdown.

Her new album has now been scheduled for release on 27 October 2008 on Wall of Sound/PIAS Records and is called "Hurricane"; Jones will tour the UK and headline the Secret Garden Party from July 24 – July 27 2008 to promote the album's release.Fact|date=June 2008 She also made a guest appearance and performance in 2008 at the Bestival (Isle of Wight) as well as Electric Picnic (Ireland).

Film career

In 1973, Jones played the role of Mary, a drug courier in Harlem in the film "Gordon's War". Jones' work as an actress in mainstream film began with the role of Zula, the Amazon in the 1984 film "Conan the Destroyer" alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain. She next landed the role of May Day in the 1985 James Bond movie "A View to a Kill".

Jones appeared in a number of other motion pictures including the 1986 vampire film, "Vamp" (wherein she used her Keith Haring body paint as part of her role as a vampiric exotic dancer) as well as Helen Strange in the Eddie Murphy film "Boomerang" - for which she recorded the song, "7 Day Weekend" - in 1992. In 2001, she appeared alongside Tim Curry in "Wolf Girl" (aka "Blood Moon"), as a transvestite circus freakshow performer named Christoph/Christine. She also appeared in an episode of the "Beastmaster" television series as the Impatra Warrior.

Awards and nominations

Jones is a three-time Saturn Award nominee, a Grammy nominee, a Razzie Award nominee and a Q Awards Winner:

Saturn Awards

* 1985: Best Supporting Actress for "Conan the Destroyer": Nomination
* 1986: Best Supporting Actress for "A View to a Kill": Nomination
* 1987: Best Supporting Actress for "Vamp": Nomination

Grammy Awards

* 1984: Best Long Form Music Video for her "A One Man Show": Nomination

MTV Video Music Award

* 1986: Best Female Video for "Slave to the Rhythm": Nomination

Q Music Award

* 2008: Idol award: Winner

Controversies

In 1981, Jones slapped chat show host Russell Harty across the face live on air after he turned to interview other guests. This topped a 2006 BBC poll of the most shocking British TV chat show moments. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4637648.stm Jones slap tops TV chat show poll] , BBC News, 22 January 2006.]

In April 2005, Jones was accused of verbally abusing a Eurostar train manager in a quarrel over a ticket upgrade and either was escorted off the train or left of her own accord, later saying she was mistreated. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4416565.stm Grace Jones denies train fracas] , BBC News, 6 April 2005.]

In November 2006, Jones was criticized for her behavior at a Delta Airlines party. Witnesses claimed that, at one stage, she removed items of clothing, claiming to be "Queen Bitch Jungle Mother of Jew York". Her publicist later denied the claims as "ridiculous". [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/11072006/gossip/pagesix/lacks_grace_pagesix_.htm LACKS GRACE] , New York Post, 7 November 2006.]

Personal life

Jones dated both the Swedish bodybuilder/actor Dolph Lundgren and Danish bodybuilder/actor Sven-Ole Thorsen in the 1980s. In February 1996, Jones married a bodyguard named Atila Altaunbay, though they later divorced. She has a son named Paulo from her previous relationship with Jean-Paul Goude; Paulo is a member of French pop group La Gouache. As of 18 August 2006, she was engaged to music producer Ivor Guest, the 4th Viscount Wimborne, though the relationship with Lord Wimborne, 20 years her junior, was described as "on/off" in the British press.Fact|date=June 2008

Discography

"see Grace Jones Discography"

Filmography

*"Gordon's War" (1973)
*"Let's Make a Dirty Movie" (1976)
*"Colt 38 Special Squad" (1976)
*"Army of Lovers or Revolution of the Perverts" (1979) (documentary)
*"Deadly Vengeance" (1981)
*"Made in France" (1984) (documentary)
*"Conan the Destroyer" (1984)
*"A View to a Kill" (1985)
*"Vamp" (1986)
*"Straight to Hell" (1987)
*"Siesta" (1987)
*"Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol" (1990) (documentary)
*"Boomerang" (1992)
*"Cyber Bandits" (1995)
*"McCinsey's Island" (1998)
*"Palmer's Pick Up" (1999)
*"No Place Like Home" (2006)
*"Falco - Damn, We Still Live!" (2008)
*"Chelsea On The Rocks" (2008)

Television work

*"A One Man Show" (1982)
*"Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special" (1988)
*"Wolf Girl" (2001)
*"Shaka Zulu: The Citadel" (2001)

Appearances in popular culture

* Chicago electronic duo Microfilm [ [http://www.microfilmmusic.com microfilm ] ] mention Grace Jones in lyrics to their 2007 song "Paris". The lyrics "Tour Eiffel/You wear it well/Like Grace Jones/I think I fell...for you" refer to Jones' role in the Bond film "A View to a Kill", where her character parachutes off the Eiffel Tower.
* On the reality TV series "America's Next Top Model", cycle 2, the models dressed as famous celebrities for a photo shoot. Jones was one of them, modeled by Xiomara Frans.
* Spitting Image parodied Grace Jones in music video, portraying her as unsubtly post-modernist and pretentious ("In is a kind of out. Sure is a kind of doubt. Goldfish is a kind of trout. Garbage is what this song's about...")
* On the sketch comedy TV show "In Living Color", Kim Wayans regularly parodied Grace Jones as an extremely physical enthusiast of any activity, whether it be fighting an alligator for her dinner or pro wrestling, while regularly asking "Do you find me sexy?".
* In the early 1980's, Jones appeared in an advertising campaign for Honda's new line of motor scooters, which had become fashionable at the time. Jones persuades rock star Adam Ant (who, prior to the ad campaign, had never driven in his life) to try it. The commercial ends with Jones biting Ant on the ear, which was edited out for airings in the U.S., but was left intact when it aired overseas.

ee also

*List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0005063|name=Grace Jones
* [http://gracejones.splinder.com/ Italian fans page]
* [http://www.dazeddigital.com/article/1273/1/ChrisCunninghamPhotographsGraceJones/ Grace Jones Cover of Dazed & Confused by Chris Cunningham]

Persondata
NAME = Jones, Grace
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Mendoza, Grace
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Jamaican American singer, model
DATE OF BIRTH = May 19, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH = Spanish Town, Jamaica
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =