John Henry Jones was born to Ernest "Buddy" and Vallie Jones in Duncan, Oklahoma. Because farming was very poor in that part of the country during those years, Buddy packed up his family and headed west in search of a better living for his family. They ended up in Continental, Arizona where they found a better life at farming.
Sensing a hidden talent that needed development in his little seven year old son, Ernest Jones invested the 'then exorbitant" sum of $4.00 in an old cracked and worn Martin guitar at a second-hand store in Tucson, Arizona. That purchase launched young John on his way to a lifetime of appreciation and application of good music. Soon after getting his 'ol Martin, John began playing music with a group of young Mexican musicians. They played anywhere people would allow them to play. John continued to play and improve. At the young age of nineteen, John organized his own Country and Western swing band and they played regularly at dances and on various radio shows throughout Arizona and New Mexico.
Sometime later, upon becoming a family man, John had to put his music aside to make a living for his wife and two sons, Mike and Mark. During his years of employment, John was a foreman on a lettuce farm, a heavy equipment operator for Pima County Highway Department and at the time of his retirement in 1973, John was a railroad conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was during his years with the railroad that he met a young, pretty school teacher from Kentucky in Lordsburg, New Mexico and before long, he and Mary were married. After his retirement, John again started playing music. He and his band became a 'regular' on the Appalachian jubilee Show in Paintsville, Kentucky.
John was deeply involved in the preservation of oldtime music and was a member of National Oldtime Fiddlers Association (NOTFA), Arizona OTFA, and Eastern Arizona OTFA serving for sometime as officer and contest coordinator. Just months before his passing, John was chosen to serve on the Board of the National Oldtime Fiddlers Association as Vice President of the midwestern division which was left vacant by the sudden passing of another 'Dear friend to all", Joe McWilliams. John stated at the time of his appointment to replace Joe Mac that "it is an honor to be selected to fill this position and my feeling is, when we lost Joe Mac, we lost a great contributor to the preservation of Oldtime Fiddlin". The membership of EAOTFA couldn't agree more with John and definitely feel the same of John.
Two days after Christmas in 1990, while he and his loving wife, Mary, were enjoying a quiet afternoon at their home in Central, Arizona, John left for his glorious reunion in heaven.
Sensing a hidden talent that needed development in his little seven year old son, Ernest Jones invested the 'then exorbitant" sum of $4.00 in an old cracked and worn Martin guitar at a second-hand store in Tucson, Arizona. That purchase launched young John on his way to a lifetime of appreciation and application of good music. Soon after getting his 'ol Martin, John began playing music with a group of young Mexican musicians. They played anywhere people would allow them to play. John continued to play and improve. At the young age of nineteen, John organized his own Country and Western swing band and they played regularly at dances and on various radio shows throughout Arizona and New Mexico.
Sometime later, upon becoming a family man, John had to put his music aside to make a living for his wife and two sons, Mike and Mark. During his years of employment, John was a foreman on a lettuce farm, a heavy equipment operator for Pima County Highway Department and at the time of his retirement in 1973, John was a railroad conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was during his years with the railroad that he met a young, pretty school teacher from Kentucky in Lordsburg, New Mexico and before long, he and Mary were married. After his retirement, John again started playing music. He and his band became a 'regular' on the Appalachian jubilee Show in Paintsville, Kentucky.
John was deeply involved in the preservation of oldtime music and was a member of National Oldtime Fiddlers Association (NOTFA), Arizona OTFA, and Eastern Arizona OTFA serving for sometime as officer and contest coordinator. Just months before his passing, John was chosen to serve on the Board of the National Oldtime Fiddlers Association as Vice President of the midwestern division which was left vacant by the sudden passing of another 'Dear friend to all", Joe McWilliams. John stated at the time of his appointment to replace Joe Mac that "it is an honor to be selected to fill this position and my feeling is, when we lost Joe Mac, we lost a great contributor to the preservation of Oldtime Fiddlin". The membership of EAOTFA couldn't agree more with John and definitely feel the same of John.
Two days after Christmas in 1990, while he and his loving wife, Mary, were enjoying a quiet afternoon at their home in Central, Arizona, John left for his glorious reunion in heaven.
John Henry Jones was born to Ernest "Buddy" and Vallie Jones in Duncan, Oklahoma. Because farming was very poor in that part of the country during those years, Buddy packed up his family and headed west in search of a better living for his family. They ended up in Continental, Arizona where they found a better life at farming.
Sensing a hidden talent that needed development in his little seven year old son, Ernest Jones invested the 'then exorbitant" sum of $4.00 in an old cracked and worn Martin guitar at a second-hand store in Tucson, Arizona. That purchase launched young John on his way to a lifetime of appreciation and application of good music. Soon after getting his 'ol Martin, John began playing music with a group of young Mexican musicians. They played anywhere people would allow them to play. John continued to play and improve. At the young age of nineteen, John organized his own Country and Western swing band and they played regularly at dances and on various radio shows throughout Arizona and New Mexico.
Sometime later, upon becoming a family man, John had to put his music aside to make a living for his wife and two sons, Mike and Mark. During his years of employment, John was a foreman on a lettuce farm, a heavy equipment operator for Pima County Highway Department and at the time of his retirement in 1973, John was a railroad conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was during his years with the railroad that he met a young, pretty school teacher from Kentucky in Lordsburg, New Mexico and before long, he and Mary were married. After his retirement, John again started playing music. He and his band became a 'regular' on the Appalachian jubilee Show in Paintsville, Kentucky.
John was deeply involved in the preservation of oldtime music and was a member of National Oldtime Fiddlers Association (NOTFA), Arizona OTFA, and Eastern Arizona OTFA serving for sometime as officer and contest coordinator. Just months before his passing, John was chosen to serve on the Board of the National Oldtime Fiddlers Association as Vice President of the midwestern division which was left vacant by the sudden passing of another 'Dear friend to all", Joe McWilliams. John stated at the time of his appointment to replace Joe Mac that "it is an honor to be selected to fill this position and my feeling is, when we lost Joe Mac, we lost a great contributor to the preservation of Oldtime Fiddlin". The membership of EAOTFA couldn't agree more with John and definitely feel the same of John.
Two days after Christmas in 1990, while he and his loving wife, Mary, were enjoying a quiet afternoon at their home in Central, Arizona, John left for his glorious reunion in heaven.
Sensing a hidden talent that needed development in his little seven year old son, Ernest Jones invested the 'then exorbitant" sum of $4.00 in an old cracked and worn Martin guitar at a second-hand store in Tucson, Arizona. That purchase launched young John on his way to a lifetime of appreciation and application of good music. Soon after getting his 'ol Martin, John began playing music with a group of young Mexican musicians. They played anywhere people would allow them to play. John continued to play and improve. At the young age of nineteen, John organized his own Country and Western swing band and they played regularly at dances and on various radio shows throughout Arizona and New Mexico.
Sometime later, upon becoming a family man, John had to put his music aside to make a living for his wife and two sons, Mike and Mark. During his years of employment, John was a foreman on a lettuce farm, a heavy equipment operator for Pima County Highway Department and at the time of his retirement in 1973, John was a railroad conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was during his years with the railroad that he met a young, pretty school teacher from Kentucky in Lordsburg, New Mexico and before long, he and Mary were married. After his retirement, John again started playing music. He and his band became a 'regular' on the Appalachian jubilee Show in Paintsville, Kentucky.
John was deeply involved in the preservation of oldtime music and was a member of National Oldtime Fiddlers Association (NOTFA), Arizona OTFA, and Eastern Arizona OTFA serving for sometime as officer and contest coordinator. Just months before his passing, John was chosen to serve on the Board of the National Oldtime Fiddlers Association as Vice President of the midwestern division which was left vacant by the sudden passing of another 'Dear friend to all", Joe McWilliams. John stated at the time of his appointment to replace Joe Mac that "it is an honor to be selected to fill this position and my feeling is, when we lost Joe Mac, we lost a great contributor to the preservation of Oldtime Fiddlin". The membership of EAOTFA couldn't agree more with John and definitely feel the same of John.
Two days after Christmas in 1990, while he and his loving wife, Mary, were enjoying a quiet afternoon at their home in Central, Arizona, John left for his glorious reunion in heaven.
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