Donna Jones (born Doreen Jones, 8 April 1949 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

Donna Jones Biography
/ref>) is an English performer best known for her work as Pussyfoot in the 1970s, and as a member of

the New Seekers The New Seekers were a British pop group, formed in London, in 1969, by Keith Potger, after the break-up of his group, the Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music wou ...

since February 1979.

Music career

Chrys-Do-Lyns (1963–1965)

Jones started her singing career in 1963 as part of an all girl trio called "The Chrys-Do-Lyns" (named after the three members). The trio comprised Christine Lowe, Doreen Jones (Donna Jones), and one-time "New Seeker" Linda Susan Belcher ( Lyn Paul). They performed in clubs throughout the UK, and also in Italy, France and Germany before splitting up in 1965.1963
Lyn Paul's website
Donna Jones Biography, page 2 of 13, The New Seekers website, www.thenewseekers.com

1965–1972

Jones then went solo. She became resident singer at a Manchester night club, "Mr. Smiths", and subsequently performed in Granada TV's "First Timers" where she was awarded "Best Female Singer". This led to a recording contract with MCA where Jones recorded "Heaven Held". She met Francine ReesFrancine Rees Biography
at Lyn Paul's website, www.lynpaulwebsite.org and Rees' husband Roger Walburn singing in the Manchester Mecca club, and they subsequently played as the resident house group at the Manchester club and its sister club in Blackpool. (Rees became a member of The New Seekers in 2002.)

Springfield Revival

In 1972, Flinn, Ray Martin, and Donna Jones formed the "Springfield Revival". They were extremely successful, appearing on television shows such as ''List of The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series) episodes, Morecambe and Wise'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ''Rolf Harris'' and many other variety shows in the UK. The group toured the world with The Osmonds, appearing at Madison Square Garden, and performed at the 45th Academy Awards#Performers, 45th Academy Awards in Hollywood on 27 March 1973.

Pussyfoot Era (1975–1980)

Jones and Flinn split from Ray Martin and formed a duo using a number of names: Mick and Donna (1975–1976), Donna Jo (1976), and Pussyfoot (1975–1980).Duo with Mick Flinn
Donna Jones Biography, page 6 of 13, The New Seekers website, www.thenewseekers.com For Pussyfoot, Flinn remained behind the scenes, and Jones was marketed as a solo artist. In 1975 they recorded the disco song "The Way That You Do It", which first attracted public attention when the song's suggestive lyrics caused it to be banned by the BBC. In Australia, the television show ''Countdown (music show), Countdown'' began playing the video clip, and exploited the British ban on playing the song. Over several months, Jones became a sensation and a sex symbol. The song was released as a single by EMI, EMI Records and spent seven weeks at number one on the singles chart from January 1977. Pussyfoot released two studio albums. In 1980, Jones fronted a mainly female band (with Flinn on lead guitar) that adopted her previous stage name of Pussyfoot, and the group entered the Song for Europe 1980 contest (a preamble to the Eurovision Song Contest). Pussyfoot came fourth in the contest, with media commentators speculating after the event that Jones was, once again, too raunchy for British tastes. The other members of Pussyfoot at the contest were Fiona Tucker (bass guitar), Jude Allen (synthesizer and keyboards), Jackie Dixon (singer), Jackie Dixon (drums) and Annabel Rees (synthesizer and keyboards).Pussyfoot 1980
Donna Jones Biography, page 7 of 13, The New Seekers website, www.thenewseekers.com
at Lyn Paul's website, www.lynpaulwebsite.org

Personal life

Jones began dance classes at age 3, and appearing in the UK TV soap ''Coronation Street'' at age 12. She married her Springfield Revival partner, Mick Flinn,Mick Flinn Biography
at Lyn Paul's website, www.lynpaulwebsite.orgMick Flinn's website
mickflinn.com who also subsequently joined The New Seekers. She has been known as Doreen Jones; Donna Jones; Pussyfoot; Donna Flinn

Mick Flinn

Australian born Flinn was a member of The Mixtures who, after back to back number 1 hits in Australia in 1970, released "The Pushbike Song" in the UK where it entered the charts in the top 5, peaking at No. 2 in January 1971. The Mixtures went to England in January 1971, spending most of 1971 there, and returned to England in 1972. Flinn left The Mixtures in May 1972, eventually settling permanently in the UK. In the UK, Flinn formed The Springfield Revival with Ray Martin and Donna Jones. Flinn subsequently became Jones' manager-writer-producer, and husband.

References

External links

*http://schlagerblog.blogspot.com.au/2007/10/we-just-want-to-be-her.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Donna English women singers English television actresses 1949 births English women comedians Living people Singers from Manchester The New Seekers Comedians from Manchester