Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones (born 26 June 1955) is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British
punk rock band
The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band
Big Audio Dynamite with
Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and later Big Audio. He now plays with
Carbon Silicon along with his lifelong friend,
Tony James and is currently touring the world as part of the
Gorillaz live band (which also includes former Clash member
Paul Simonon).
Early life
Jones was born in
Brixton,
South London, England to a Welsh father and a
Russian Jewish mother. He spent much of his early life living with his maternal grandmother, Stella, in South London. Jones' cousin is
Grant Shapps, the
Conservative MP for
Welwyn Hatfield. Jones went to
Strand School – and then on to art school, because " thought that's how you get into bands and stuff".
He started gaining recognition as a guitarist in the early '70s with his
glam rock band, The Delinquents. A short time later, he met
Tony James and formed the
proto-punk London SS. By 1976, that band had broken up and remaining members Jones,
Paul Simonon and
Keith Levene were seeking a new direction.Related news articles:
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