Memphis remembers a pioneer of the city’s unique sound, as on this day in 1944 Booker T. Jones was born in the Bluff City that would, in turn, give birth to his own career.
Jones was committed to becoming a musician from a young age, to the point that at just 16 years old he became the leader of the famed Stax Records house band, Booker T. & The MGs, whose first recording, “Green Onions,” put the Bluff City’s sound on the map and eventually earned them a spot in Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Songs Of All Time and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Jones would also form friendships with such stars as Maurice White (who founded the band Earth, Wind, & Fire) and collaborated with such industry legends as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Otis Redding, and Barbra Streisand.
Jones currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Nanine Warhurst.
