Barbara Nation ( – 19 December 2014), better known as Barbara Jones, was a

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

n singer who had a UK hit single in 1981 with " Just When I Needed You Most".

Career

Born in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

and raised in

Manchester, Jamaica The Parish of Manchester () is a parish located in west-central Jamaica, in the county of Middlesex. Its capital, Mandeville, is a major business centre. Its St. Paul of the Cross Pro-Cathedral is the episcopal see of the Latin Catholic Dio ...

, she began her career in 1971 with the single "Sad Movies".Campbell, Howard (2014)
Gospel singer Barbara Jones dies at 62
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 23 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014 She had her greatest success in January 1981 with "Just When I Needed You Most", which reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart. She toured as backing singer with

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...

in the late 1970s and early 1980s; In 1991, she became a devout Christian and gave up secular music to concentrate on

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

. After becoming ill in London, she was diagnosed with

leukaemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

in February 2014. She returned to reggae with performances in Brazil with

Lloyd Parks Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1949) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.Larkin, Colin: ...

. Her health deteriorated and she died in Kingston's University Hospital of the West Indies on 19 December 2014, from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

contracted during

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...

treatments. She was 62 years old. Jones was once described as "the Billie Holliday of reggae music".Hebdige, Dick (1987) ''Cut `n' Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music'', Routledge; , p. 121

Discography

*''Don't Stop Loving Me'' (1979), GG's *''My Love: Just When I Needed You Most'' (1980), Rhino *''Sings Hit Songs In Reggae Style'' (1983), Top Rank *''You're Always On My Mind'' (1984), Dynamic *''10 Million Sellers In Reggae'' (1985), Top Rank *''Need to Belong'' (1985), EAD *''Will It Last Forever'', Hit *''For Your Ears Only'' (1994), Jamaican Gold *''The Two of Us'', Park Height - Phillip James feat. Barbara Jones *''Jesus Is Calling'' (2000), VP *''Thank You Lord for Your Blessing'' (2005), Silver Lining *''So Much to Thank Him For'' (2005), Silver Lining *''Use Me Lord'' (2011), Nylahs Gospel Music ;Compilations: *''Best of Barbara Jones'' (1976),

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

*''Sad Movies'' (1997), Charly *''Just When I Needed You Most: The Best of Barbara Jones'' (2004), Trojan *''Blue Side of Lonesome'' (2007), Jet Star/Zone Entertainment

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Barbara 1950s births 2014 deaths Date of birth missing Singers from Kingston, Jamaica 20th-century Jamaican women singers Jamaican reggae singers Deaths from pneumonia in Jamaica Deaths from leukemia in Jamaica 21st-century Jamaican women singers