Jones, Chris

Posted on by WR

CHRIS JONES (AND THE NIGHT DRIVERS)

  • From Pomona, New York (near Buffalo). Lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
  • During his teen years, played oboe in the school orchestra.
  • He and Ron Block (of Union Station, and a former bandmate in Weary Hearts) are married to sisters from Canada.
  • Because he sings in a lower range, his music has been called “the low lonesome sound.”
  • His wife Sally also performed and recorded with her own band, the Sidewinders.
  • 1978, at age 18, formed a band in New York called Horse Country.
  • 1981-1985, joined The Special Consensus.
  • 1985-1995, he worked with Dave Evans, Whetstone Run, Weary Hearts, The Lynn Morris Band and The Vassar Clements Band. He also worked with the McCarter Sisters, a country act.
  • 1995, formed his band the Night Drivers, named for the night driving that bluegrass bands typically do to get from one gig to another.
  • 1995, released Blinded by the Rose album (Strictly Country).
  • 1997, released No One But You album (Rebel).
  • 1998, released Follow Your Heart album (Rebel)
  • 2000, broke his collarbone in a traffic accident in Canada.
  • 2001, released Just a Drifter album (Rebel).
  • 2001, became a full-time announcer for Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s bluegrass music channel. He had previously hosted a bluegrass radio program in Franklin, Tennessee.
  • 2002, released A Few Words album (Rebel).
  • 2003, toured with the Chieftains and formed a new band called the Chris Jones Coalition with Jeremy and Glen Garrett (formerly of the Grasshoppers).
  • 2005, changed his band name back to Chris Jones & the Night Drivers.
  • 2007, won the IBMA award for Broadcast Personality of the Year as well as the IBMA award for Song of the Year (for “Fork in the Road” which he co-wrote with John Pennell and was recorded by the Infamous Stringdusters.)
  • 2009, released Cloud of Dust album (GSM).
  • 2011, began writing a regular column for Bluegrass Today (online news journal).
  • 2012, released Lost Souls & Free Spirits album (Rebel).
  • 2013, released Lonely Comes Easy album (Rebel).
  • 2014, released Live At the Old Feed Store album (GSM).
  • 2015, released Run Away Tonight album (Mountain Home).
  • 2015, won IBMA Award for Broadcast Personality of the Year (for his work on Sirius/XM Radio).
  • 2017, released Made to Move album (Mountain Home).
  • 2019, released The Choosing Road album (Mountain Home).
  • 2021, released Make Each Second Last album (Mountain Home).
  • 2023, won IBMA Award for Writer of the Year for the second time (also won in 2014).