Legendary bassist Darryl Jones began his music career as a Chicago high schooler, playing in venues he was too young to enter. His mother acted as his chaperone. During Utah Valley University’s fall 2023 Presidential Lecture Series, the bassist spoke about how his parents influenced his success. He also shared experiences performing with Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones, Sting, and Madonna.
“Both of my parents were music lovers. My father played drums. He never got out and did a lot of gigging, but there was always music in the household,” said Jones. “He was listening to early Miles [Davis] and Oscar Peterson, and Count Basie was one of his favorites. My mother loved James Brown and Curtis Mayfield. She loved soul music and blues. I think just growing up in that kind of two-radio household exposed me to more than just one thing.”
Jones said aside from a love of music, his parents modeled a strong work ethic. His mother was a nurse, and his father operated a bus for the Chicago Transit Authority. The home they created was a refuge for would-be musicians and bands, including those Jones and his brother started in the basement.
“All of the bands that we had until I left for college rehearsed in my parent’s basement,” Jones said. “So just having that kind of place and their willingness to listen to people get it together, four, five days a week for those 10, 12 years — it made all of the difference in the world.”
Aside from his formal education, Jones said he learned from musicians he played with while gigging in Chicago.
“Growing up in Chicago, where there hasn’t been a lot of musical industry, there are still a lot of incredible musicians,” said Jones. “Say you went on a gig to play a wedding, and you were tasked to play a pop tune, then you kind of had to know that. If you had to play a jazz tune, then you had to know that. If you didn’t have all of those things together, then one of the older musicians would kind of get on your case and say, ‘Well, yes, you sounded good when you were playing the funk tune — but what about when I put that chart in front of you? You weren’t able to read it, so you’ve got to shore that up.’ In a nutshell, I really had an incredible education for exactly what came.”
What came was a big break: the opportunity to play with Miles Davis, one of the most influential figures in music history. Davis was a jazz musician, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.
“I remember right before I went on stage with Miles for the first time — Saint Louis, June 7th, 1983 — he called me into his dressing room and asked me if I had any questions, and I said ‘No.’ He just kind of looked at me and chuckled like, ‘Okay.’ But the truth is I had been prepared,” said Jones. “My father made sure I knew something about jazz music, so I understood that part of it. These older gentlemen that I grew up playing with — we did these kind of open-ended jams where you just kind of had a bass line that fit, and that worked. I played with vocalists, where if you listen to Miles’ tone, it's very like playing with a vocalist. I’ve done all of these things.”
Working with Davis opened doors to touring with Sting, though Jones intended to go back on stage with Davis when the tour ended.
“I realized that because of Sting’s popularity, because of The Police, because of them being such a big band, and because when I auditioned for him after I got the job, the management came and said, ‘We are going to do a world tour; we are going to do several videos; we are going to do all of these things’ — I realized it was going to be a big deal.”
Jones did return to Davis after working with Sting. Then, The Rolling Stones agreed to hear him play. They were looking to replace Bill Wyman, who had retired. Jones’ career with The Rolling Stones began in 1994, and he has been touring and recording with them ever since.
During the lecture, UVU students and community members asked the legendary musician an array of questions, including some regarding today’s music industry, the use of technology in today’s music, and how finding musicians has changed.
“I think there is a lot of great music being produced, but it is more difficult to find now,” said Jones. “If you think about someone like Bruce Springsteen, he signed a seven-record deal when he was signed. These people who signed him wanted to watch him grow. They wanted to feed him. The world that we live in now is very different than that. You almost have to have a million followers for a record company to even look at you because they want you to bring your audience with you. They aren’t interested in developing an artist.”
Jones said developing relationships is invaluable. Many of his big breaks, including those with Davis and The Rolling Stones, came from connections with others in the music industry.
“Even Keith [Richards] — the day that I was coming into an audition for The Stones — asked one of the back line guys, ‘I know, Darryl; he is Steven Jolley’s friend. But who has he played with?’ And Pierre said, ‘He played with Miles Davis.’ And invariably, Keith said, ‘Oh, I guess we should have a listen, then.’”
Jones also said it’s important to constantly work to improve yourself. “When we think about mastery, in my humble opinion, I think all masters are ultimately students and are always trying to gain more.”
He also emphasized not giving up on dreams, explaining that too many musicians give up when they are on the cusp of making it. To move forward requires courage.
“It comes back to belief,” said Jones. “It’s another thing that my mother and father really instilled in me. My mother used to say to my brothers and me, ‘You are little creators, and the life that you live is your creation.’”
In conclusion, Jones encouraged UVU students to create pathways to their futures and make the most of their time in college.
“To all of the students here, I would say, try to take advantage of your time here,” said Jones. “Really focus. Try to get everything that you can from your education here. It’s like a catapult: the more that you learn here, the more that you really try to take in everything that you can here — the more force you have as you go out into the world. And as you get older, you will not have the time to focus on these things the way that you can now. So, I would say just to take advantage of every moment that you have here. It really is a privilege to be studying, to be enriching yourself.”
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