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Booker T. Jones

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Booker T. Jones was born on 12 November 1944 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a child prodigy: at school he played oboe, saxophone, trombone, double bass and piano, and in church the organ. At sixteen he played baritone saxophone on Cause I Love You by Carla and Rufus Thomas, the first hit for the label that would later be called Stax.

Music and breakthrough

In the label's record shop he met the guitarist Steve Cropper. In 1962, together with bassist Lewie Steinberg, later replaced by Donald Duck Dunn, and drummer Al Jackson Jr., they formed the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Jones played organ. While still at secondary school he co-wrote the instrumental Green Onions, which became a big hit in 1962. Jones then studied classical composition at Indiana University, played with the M.G.'s in Memphis at weekends and worked as a session musician for other Stax artists. With William Bell he wrote Born Under a Bad Sign for Albert King, later made famous by Cream.

Influence

He also wrote songs for Eddie Floyd and Otis Redding. In this way Jones stood, as player, writer and arranger, at the centre of the soul that came out of Memphis in those years. In 1970 Jones moved to California and stopped his session work for Stax. Later he made solo albums such as Potato Hole (2009). He received a Grammy for his lifetime achievement. Since the death of Steve Cropper in December 2025 he has been the last surviving original member of the group.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Green Onions (1962). Notice Jones's short, constantly repeated organ figure above a simple blues progression, and the sharp guitar stabs from Steve Cropper that keep cutting in between.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Artists