Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones

Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones (1964 – 31 July 1993) was an English musician. He was a founder member and original bassist for The Wonder Stuff, based in Stourbridge (West Midlands, England).

The Wonder Stuff

Jones was born in Kingswinford, near Dudley, United Kingdom in 1964. He had followed "From Eden", an earlier band featuring fellow future Wonder Stuff members Miles Hunt and Malcolm Treece. Following the split of "From Eden" he left the Midlands for London in 1984 to play in a number of unsuccessful thrash/death metal bands and even roadie for a support band on one of The Pogues' tours. Hearing that Jones had returned to the Midlands in March 1986, Miles contacted him with a view to becoming the group's new bassist. The first time they played together, along with drummer Martin Gilks in March 1986, they sat in the kitchen and wrote "A Wonderful Day" and "Red Berry Joy Town" which, respectively, became the first Wonder Stuff single and the first track on the debut album.

Jones played on the debut album "The Eight Legged Groove Machine" and the follow-up "Hup". Following disagreements within the group, The Bass Thing left in December 1989, heading straight for America as soon as the group had played the final night of a sellout 3 night residence at Birmingham's Aston Villa Leisure Centre.

Later career and death

After the move to New York he formed another band, The Bridge & Tunnel Crew, singing vocals and playing rhythm guitar.

He died in New York on 31 July 1993, aged 29, of an overdose of heroin and cocaine, mixed with alcohol, shortly after he split-up from his second wife, Jessica.

In 2007 Jessica commented: "In life, he told me he never wanted to return to the UK. So I had his body cremated, and I put his ashes in various places I thought he'd like...The pink sands of the Sahara desert in Morocco...Across from the Parachute drop in Coney Island...Tammy Wynette's poolside garden (when I was there for a party when she was alive)... Hudson Park across from the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island... (and) New Orleans." cite web | date = October 9, 2007 | title = RIP Rob Jones | url=http://www.room512.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2383 | work=room512.com] .

References