Gloria Jones: The Motown songwriter who became the undisputed Queen of Northern Soul
In short: Before she was known for her tragic link to T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, Gloria Jones was a powerhouse of the American music scene. From gospel prodigy to Motown hitmaker and glam rock icon, her career spanned decades, genres, and continents, leaving an indelible mark on soul and disco history.
Born in Cincinnati in 1945, Gloria Jones began her ascent at age 14 by forming the COGIC Singers. Her talent caught the attention of producer Ed Cobb in 1964, leading to her first hit, Heartbeat. While she found moderate success in the United States, her music resonated deeply in Northern England. Her 1965 recording of Tainted Love earned her a devoted following and the enduring title, The Queen of Northern Soul, a moniker reaffirmed by her 1982 album, Reunited.
Jones was a prolific songwriter during her tenure at Motown Records, where she often used the pseudonym LaVerne Ware. She penned tracks for legends like The Jackson 5 and The Four Tops, and her composition If I Were Your Woman for Gladys Knight and the Pips earned a Grammy nomination in 1971. Beyond her writing, she was a versatile performer, appearing in the musical Hair and providing backing vocals for artists such as Ry Cooder.
Her life took a dramatic turn in the 1970s when she joined Marc Bolan’s band, T. Rex, as a keyboardist and vocalist. The couple shared a son, Rolan, born in 1975. In 1977, Jones was driving the car that crashed into a tree near Barnes Common, resulting in Bolan's death. Following the accident and the subsequent loss of her possessions to looters, Jones returned to the United States. She continued her career, releasing solo work and later collaborating with her son to establish the Marc Bolan School of Music & Film in Sierra Leone in 2010.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Gloria Jones
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