Darryl Jones (born December 11, 1961) is an American bassist. He has been recording and touring with
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
since 1993. He has also played in bands with
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
and
Sting, among others.
Career
Darryl Jones was born on December 11, 1961 in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, on the city's south side.
His father was a drummer and his mother frequently listened to soul music on the radio.
When Jones was seven, his father taught him how to play the drums and xylophone.
When he was nine, he saw his neighbour Angus Thomas playing bass in a school talent show, which inspired him to switch to bass.
He began studying under Thomas,
Within a year, he performed with his brother at the next school talent show. His mother would drive him to gigs.
After completing the music course at Chicago Vocational High School at 17, Jones started playing on Chicago music scene, playing alongside
Vincent Wilburn Jr., Matthew Rose, and Perry Wilson. He attended
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University (SIU) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Chartered in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. SIU enrolls students from all 50 sta ...
.
In 1985, he became a member of
Sting's first solo band with
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...
,
Kenny Kirkland
Kenneth David Kirkland (September 28, 1955 – November 12, 1998) was an American pianist and keyboardist.
Biography Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Kirkland was six when he first sat down at a piano keyboard. After years ...
, and
Omar Hakim
Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959) is an American drummer, producer, arranger and composer. His session work covers jazz, jazz fusion, and pop music. He has worked with Weather Report, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Chic, Sting, Madonna, Dire S ...
. With Sting he recorded the albums ''
Dream of the Blue Turtles
''The Dream of the Blue Turtles'' is the debut solo album by English musician Sting, released on 17 June 1985. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200.
Five singles were released from ...
'' and ''
Bring On the Night'', and featured in the documentary of the band's formation and touring, also titled ''
Bring On the Night''.

In 1993, Jones auditioned to join the
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
after bassist
Bill Wyman
William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
retired.
He succeeded, touring with them in 1994. Jones has toured and recorded with the band since then.
He is working on a documentary about himself with Eric Hamburg.
Collaborations
* ''
Decoy
A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''eenden kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to ...
'' –
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
(1984)
* ''
You're Under Arrest'' –
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
(1985)
* ''
The Dream of the Blue Turtles
''The Dream of the Blue Turtles'' is the debut solo album by English musician Sting, released on 17 June 1985. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200.
Five singles were released from ...
'' –
Sting (1985)
* ''
Patti'' –
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...
(1985)
* ''
Live in Tokyo'' –
Steps Ahead
Steps Ahead is an American jazz fusion group.
History
The group arose out of spontaneous sessions at Seventh Avenue South, a jazz club in New York City owned by saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter brother Randy Brecker. The first three a ...
(1986)
with Michael Brecker Mike Mainieri Mike Stern Steve Smith
* ''
Inside Out'' –
Philip Bailey
Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fo ...
(1986)
* ''
Journeyman
A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...
'' –
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
(1989)
* ''Finally Yours'' –
Carmen Bradford (1992)
* ''
What's Inside
''What's Inside'' is the fourteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. The album was written, arranged and produced by Armatrading, co-produced by David Tickle and recorded at the A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood. The ...
'' –
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading (, born 9 December 1950) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her first major commercial success came with her third and fourth albums, '' Joan Armatrading'' (1976) and '' Show Some Emotion'' (1977), a ...
(1995)
* ''
Organic'' –
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as
"Feelin' Alright ...
(1996)
* ''
Deuces Wild'' –
B.B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
(1997)
alongside The Rolling Stones
* ''
Soulbook'' –
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
(2009)
* ''
I Feel Like Playing'' –
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing lead guitar with several Brit ...
(2010)
* ''
Wild and Free'' –
Ziggy Marley
David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is the son of Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 2002, with whom he released eight studio albums. After ...
(2011)
* ''
Storytone'' –
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
(2014)
* ''
Remnants'' –
LeAnn Rimes
Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and o ...
(2016)
* ''
Awe'' –
Alister Fawnwoda and Skream (2023)
With The Rolling Stones
*''
Voodoo Lounge
''Voodoo Lounge'' is the twentieth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 11 July 1994. The album was their band's first release under their new alliance with Virgin Records and their first studio album in five year ...
'' (1994)
*''
Stripped'' (1995)
*''
Bridges to Babylon
''Bridges to Babylon'' is the twenty-first studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by Virgin Records on 29 September 1997. Released as a double album on vinyl and as a single CD, it was supported by the year-long worldw ...
'' (1997)
*''
No Security
''No Security'' is a live album by the Rolling Stones released by Virgin Records in 1998. Recorded over the course of the band's 1997–1998 worldwide Bridges to Babylon Tour, it was the band's eighth official full-length live release.
Not ...
'' (1998)
*''
Live Licks'' (2004)
*''
A Bigger Bang
''A Bigger Bang'' is the twenty-second studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released through Virgin Records on 5 September 2005. It was the band's last album of original material recorded entirely with Charlie Watts on drum ...
'' (2005)
*''
Shine a Light'' (2008)
*''
Blue & Lonesome'' (2016)
References
Further reading
* Wissmann, Chris (1996). "Former SIU Student Playing Bass for Rolling Stones". "Nightlife"
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Darryl
1961 births
Living people
African-American guitarists
American rock bass guitarists
American jazz bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
Southern Illinois University alumni
Miles Davis
American session musicians
The Rolling Stones
The Dead Daisies members
20th-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American bass guitarists
Guitarists from Chicago
American male guitarists
Jazz musicians from Illinois
American male jazz musicians