Peter Jones (drummer)
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Peter Robert Jones (21 April 196318 May 2012) was an English-born Australian musician. He replaced
Paul Hester Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the band Split Enz for their last year together from December 1983 to December 1984, and co-founding member an ...
on drums for
Crowded House Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...
in mid-1994. After the band split up in June 1996, he played in Deadstar with
Caroline Kennedy Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author, diplomat, and attorney who served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia, United States ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024. She previously serv ...
and
Nick Seymour Nicholas More Seymour (born 9 December 1958) is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitaris ...
, but did not return to Crowded House when they re-formed in 2006 about a year after Hester's death. Jones worked as a secondary teacher in Melbourne and on 18 May 2012, he died from
brain cancer A brain tumor (sometimes referred to as brain cancer) occurs when a group of cells within the brain turn cancerous and grow out of control, creating a mass. There are two main types of tumors: malignant (cancerous) tumors and benign (non-cance ...
, aged 49.


Biography

Peter Robert Jones was born on 21 April 1963 in
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. His parents were Barrie and Joan Jones (died 2010); his siblings were Phil and Christine. The family arrived in Australia in 1966 and settled in the Melbourne suburb of
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
. By the age of 13 years Peter started learning to play drums as Phil was already playing guitar. For secondary education he attended Templestowe Technical College, which had a passionate music teacher Gordon Pendleton who prepared him for a jazz course at
Victorian College of the Arts The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music (FFAM). It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus ...
in 1982. In 1983 Jones was the drummer for
Vince Jones Vincent Hugh Jones (born 24 March 1954) is an Australian jazz singer, songwriter, and trumpet, flugelhorn and flumpet player. His music includes both original material and new contemporary versions of jazz standards. His themes are often love ...
(no relation), the Australian jazz musician, and appears on the latter's second album, ''Spell'', which had appeared by November. In 1984, he played in a Melbourne pub band called The Feet, with Wayne Drury (vocals and bass), Tom Roberts (guitar), Tom Hoy (alto saxophone), Peter Orr and Amanda Bathgate (tenor sax). During 1984 Peter also drummed with the band Transwaste, formerly named Recent Theft. Led by Jamie Fielding (keyboard), Michael Sheridan (guitar), Gavan Dunn (Sax) and James Boddington (Bass) the band was making original music influenced by industrial and independent rock groups. In February 1985 he joined
Harem Scarem Harem Scarem is a Canadian hard rock/melodic hard rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Harem Scarem initially (the early 1990s) achieved popularity in their native Canada and Japan. The band was active from 1987 to 2008, and again from 2013 after ...
, a Melbourne-based blues rock group, with Christopher Marshall on lead vocals; his brother, Charles Marshall on bass guitar; Kurt Lindtner on harmonica; David Moll on guitar; and Glen Sheldon on guitar. In September the group reorganised with Moll replaced by Barry Palmer on lead guitar; Lindtner replaced by Chris Wilson on harmonica and saxophone (both ex-Sole Twisters); and Sheldon and Charles Marshall swapped their instruments. Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...
, described the new ensemble: "Few alternative bands of the day could ever hope to match that line-up for muscular bravado and sheer instrumental firepower". Harem Scarem issued their first studio album, ''Pilgrim's Progress'', in December 1986 on
Au Go Go Records Au Go Go Records is a Melbourne, Australia based independent record label. It was founded by Bruce Milne and Philip Morland from a house in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy in 1979 and was later operated by Greta Moon. The label started releasing ...
. McFarlane noted that it was a "classic" which had received "great critical acclaim". Trevor Block of Mess+Noise described the re-issue version from 2008 as a "steaming chunk of urban blues from the Yarra delta". Their second album, ''Lo & Behold'', appeared in December 1988 on
Citadel Records Citadel Records is an independent record label from Sydney, Australia. It was established in the early 1980s by John Needham. Bands released through Citadel include Died Pretty, Deniz Tek, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, The Trilobites, Porcela ...
. McFarlane felt it was "another strong release with a more varied approach (rock, blues and soul influences mixed with The Band-like country elements)". As a member of Harem Scarem Jones co-wrote 12 of their tracks including three singles, "Hard Rain" (September 1986), "Miracle Mile" (June 1987) and "Long Time Between Drinks" (December 1988). The group disbanded in 1989. He was also in Stove Top, and recorded with rock band, Lucy's Crown, on their debut album. Jones played with
Ross Hannaford Ross Andrew Hannaford (1 December 1950 – 8 March 2016) was an Australian musician, active in numerous local bands. He was often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he was best kn ...
,
Rowland S. Howard Rowland Stuart Howard (24 October 1959 – 30 December 2009) was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the post-punk group The Birthday Party (band), The Birthday Party and his subsequent solo career ...
, Lisa Miller,
Kate Ceberano Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the rock, soul, jazz and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as '' Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her single " Bedroom Eyes" re ...
,
Tinpan Orange Tinpan Orange are an Indie folk band from Melbourne, Australia. They formed in 2005 after they were discovered busking on the streets of Darwin, Australia. The band is a trio of musicians, made up of Emily Lubitz as the lead singer and guitaris ...
, Freakpower and David Hosking. In mid-1994 Jones was asked to join
Crowded House Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...
to replace founding drummer,
Paul Hester Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the band Split Enz for their last year together from December 1983 to December 1984, and co-founding member an ...
. The group were touring the United States and had temporarily used tour mate's Sheryl Crow's drummer
Wally Ingram Wally Ingram is an American drummer and musician. He is most famous as a member of the band Timbuk 3. In recent years, he has toured with the multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, and released several records with him: * 2000 : ''Twango Bango De ...
, before Jones could arrive. He remained with the group until they disbanded in June 1996. He returned as a guest musician for their Farewell to the World concert in November that year. Jones' performance was recorded and appears on the group's live album of the concert, ''
Farewell to the World ''Farewell to the World'' is a 1996 concert by rock group Crowded House, which was released on video in 1996 and on CD and DVD in 2006. The concert was recorded on the outside steps of the Sydney Opera House, as a charity event to raise funds f ...
'' (November 2006). On the related DVD, founding lead vocalist,
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz and for being the lead singer of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 ...
, mentions that Jones was a school teacher. In August 1995 while still a member of Crowded House, Jones formed a pop music side project, Deadstar, with former Harem Scarem bandmate, Barry Palmer on guitar and bass guitar (also in
Hunters & Collectors Hunters & Collectors are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, formed in 1981. Fronted by founding member, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, the band's other mainstays are John Archer on bass guitar and Doug Falconer on drums an ...
), and
Caroline Kennedy Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author, diplomat, and attorney who served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia, United States ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024. She previously serv ...
(ex-Plums) on lead vocals. They issued their debut self-titled album in October, most of the tracks were co-written by the three band members. After Crowded House had disbanded in November of the following year, Deadstar recruited
Nick Seymour Nicholas More Seymour (born 9 December 1958) is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitaris ...
on bass guitar. The group issued two more studio albums, ''Milk'' (August 1997) and ''Somewhere Over the Radio'' (September 1999), until they disbanded in 2001. After Deadstar Jones worked as a session musician for various groups including Ross Hannaford's Reggaebites (2002); as a producer he worked on albums by
Stephen Cummings Stephen Donald Cummings (born 13 September 1954) is an Australian rock singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of Melbourne-based rock band the Sports from 1976 to 1981, followed by a solo career which has met with critical acclaim but h ...
(''Firecracker'', 3 February 2003; ''Close Ups'', 16 August 2000), Tess McKenna (''Boom Bam'', 2003), and
Rebecca Barnard Rebecca Chirnside Barnard is an Australian singer, songwriter, Record producer, producer, and musician. She was the lead singer of the band Rebecca's Empire from 1993 to 2000 and has forged a solo career since her debut album, ''Fortified'', wa ...
(''Fortified'', 2006). After 1999, Jones was at
Roxburgh College Roxburgh College is a state secondary school in Roxburgh Park, Victoria, Australia. Previously Upfield Secondary College, the school completed its transition to the current site at Roxburgh Park during 2005. The school offers years 7–12, wit ...
, initially as a drum instructor and then as a classroom teacher. In March 2011, Jones was diagnosed with
brain cancer A brain tumor (sometimes referred to as brain cancer) occurs when a group of cells within the brain turn cancerous and grow out of control, creating a mass. There are two main types of tumors: malignant (cancerous) tumors and benign (non-cance ...
. He died from the disease on 18 May 2012 in Melbourne, aged 49.


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Peter 1963 births 2012 deaths Australian rock drummers Australian male drummers Deaths from cancer in Victoria (state) Neurological disease deaths in Victoria (state) Crowded House members Deaths from brain cancer in Australia Musicians from Liverpool Australian jazz drummers English emigrants to Australia British male jazz musicians