Trevor "Gypsy" Jones, a veteran rock musician who worked with heavy hitters like Moody Blues and Ten Years After, has died.
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The Guardian reported the rock musician's death yesterday, without providing any details surrounding his passing.
According to the outlet, Jones had a prolific career in music spanning decades. Born in Faversham, England, Jones attended the Simon Langton School in Canterbury. There, he met fellow budding musicians Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge , and Kevin Ayers (who would go on to form the psychedelic prog rock band Soft Machine). They helped form the "Canterbury Scene" in the early 1960s, per The Guardian.
Picking up the moniker "Gypsy" for his habit of wearing a gold curtain ring in one of his earlobes, Jones moved with his parents to Tasmania in 1964. With his brother John, he soon formed a band (his brother on guitar and vocals, and himself manning the bass and vocals). Playing musical chars with band names (Chaos & Co, Mickey Finn and Sweaty Betty...) Jones and his first outfit managed to have several singles become hits in Australia.
By 1971, Jones and his brother had relocated to the UK. They soon formed a band named Anno Domini alongside Irish musicians David Mercer and Kerry Scott. They released one album, On This New Day, in 1971.
However, Jones' next outfit, Jonesy, managed to leave a more lasting mark on prog rock. Before calling it quits, the group managed to gain critical acclaim as well as a dedicated fanbase with No Alternative (1972) and Keeping Up (1973). The group had one more LP, Growing in 1973 before parting ways.
Jones' Session Musician Career Included Working with Legends Like Moody Blues and Ten Years After
From there, Jones went on to be an independent producer and session musician. According to The Guardian, in these roles, he worked with artists like Willie Rushton, Moody Blues, and Ten Years After. He later worked for the BBC as a record producer, focusing on classical music with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
By 1994, the veteran musician settled into the life of a teacher. At the Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology, he taught courses in radio production and performance. He rose to the role of the college's music course coordinator before retiring in 2012.
Trevor "Gypsy" Jones is survived by his wife since 1981, Dagmar (nee Bilgenroth), and two sons.
Jones was 82.
