Anthony Armstrong Jones
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Jones was an American country music
singer known professionally as Anthony Armstrong Jones, a stage name that he took from the name of the British photographer who married Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
. A former professional golf
er, Jones recorded four albums for Chart Records
in that timespan, in addition to charting six times in the Top 40 on the Billboard
country singles charts. His debut single was a #22-peaking cover
of "Proud Mary," originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival
, which served as the title track of his first album. Its second single was "New Orleans," originally recorded by Gary U. S. Bonds.
Jones' second album, Take a Letter Maria, produced his biggest hit in its #8 title track, a cover of the pop hit for R. B. Greaves
. Later that year, he released Sugar in the Flowers, which produced singles in "Lead Me Not into Temptation" and its title track. Finishing off his single releases that year was a rendition of Neil Diamond
's "Sweet Caroline
," which Jones recorded on Take a Letter Maria.
Jones later moved to Epic Records
, where he charted three singles in 1973, including a #33 cover of Jim Croce
's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
". He recorded for Homa Records in the 1970s but did not have any chart success, and charted for the last time in 1986 with the #74 "Those Eyes" on the Air label. After retiring from the music business, Jones founded a club called Proud Mary in Shreveport, Louisiana
. He died on June 16, 1996.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer known professionally as Anthony Armstrong Jones, a stage name that he took from the name of the British photographer who married Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
. A former professional golf
Professional golf
For information about professional golf see:*Professional golfer, which describes the various branches of the profession.*Professional golf tours, which covers elite professional competitive golf and links to more detailed articles about each tour....
er, Jones recorded four albums for Chart Records
Chart Records
Chart Records was a country music record label of the 1960s, best known for turning Lynn Anderson into a major country star. It was owned by Slim Williamson.The label was founded in 1964...
in that timespan, in addition to charting six times in the Top 40 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country singles charts. His debut single was a #22-peaking cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Proud Mary," originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
, which served as the title track of his first album. Its second single was "New Orleans," originally recorded by Gary U. S. Bonds.
Jones' second album, Take a Letter Maria, produced his biggest hit in its #8 title track, a cover of the pop hit for R. B. Greaves
R. B. Greaves
Ronald Bertram Aloysius "R. B." Greaves III is a singer who had chart success in 1969 with the pop single "Take a Letter Maria". A #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, this single sold one million copies and earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America...
. Later that year, he released Sugar in the Flowers, which produced singles in "Lead Me Not into Temptation" and its title track. Finishing off his single releases that year was a rendition of Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
's "Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
," which Jones recorded on Take a Letter Maria.
Jones later moved to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, where he charted three singles in 1973, including a #33 cover of Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is the title of a song written by American folk rock singer Jim Croce. Released as part of his 1973 album Life and Times, the song was a Number One pop hit for him, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1973...
". He recorded for Homa Records in the 1970s but did not have any chart success, and charted for the last time in 1986 with the #74 "Those Eyes" on the Air label. After retiring from the music business, Jones founded a club called Proud Mary in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. He died on June 16, 1996.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1969 | Proud Mary
|
44 |
| 1970 | Take a Letter Maria
|
42 |
| Sugar in the Flowers
|
— | |
| 1971 | Greatest Hits
|
— |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1969 | "Proud Mary" | 22 | — | Proud Mary |
| "New Orleans" | 28 | — | ||
| 1970 | "Take a Letter Maria Take A Letter Maria "Take a Letter Maria" is a song written and recorded by R. B. Greaves, an American soul singer. The song has a Latin music flavor, complete with a mariachi-style horn section. It tells of a man who learns of his wife's infidelity the night before and dictates a letter of separation to "Maria", his... " |
8 | 8 | Take a Letter Maria |
| "Lead Me Not Into Temptation" | 56 | — | Sugar in the Flowers | |
| "One for the Road"A | — | 32 | ||
| "Sugar in the Flowers" | 38 | 38 | ||
| "Sweet Caroline Sweet Caroline "Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song... " |
40 | 35 | Take a Letter Maria | |
| 1973 | "I'm Right Where I Belong" | 70 | — | singles only |
| "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Bad, Bad Leroy Brown "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is the title of a song written by American folk rock singer Jim Croce. Released as part of his 1973 album Life and Times, the song was a Number One pop hit for him, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1973... " |
33 | 83 | ||
| "I've Got Mine" | 69 | — | ||
| 1986 | "Those Eyes" | 74 | — | |
- AB-side to "Lead Me Not into Temptation."