Historical music archive
Raymond Jones biography
Raymond Jones biography: a sourced account of the New York musician’s work with Chic, State of Art, film projects and the recordings presented by UEG.
Career sources: 2001 interview and biography; 2011 memorial · Independent biographical reference
Independently compiled by the current site operator on 28 September 2026 from the earlier music website. This is not a republication of the original text or an endorsement of today’s product by the artists or their estates.
From New York groups to Chic
The early biography identifies Raymond Jones as a musician, composer, producer, writer and engineer who grew up in New York City. He began working with local Latin groups while in high school. Tony Thompson later introduced him to Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards; Jones joined Chic as a keyboard player. His 2001 interview describes the encounter from his own perspective.
[1][2]Writing, production and musical direction
The biography connects his subsequent work with Nona Hendryx, Jeffrey Osborne, George Duke, Stephanie Mills and Angela Bofill. It also describes film work including projects with Spike Lee. These were varied performance, writing and production roles; a project association should not be mistaken for sole authorship of an entire soundtrack.
[1]State of Art and a solo catalog
Jones and Norma Jean Wright formed State of Art. The October 2001 interview dates Community to 1991 and places the end of the group’s recording activity in 1993. His solo sequence began with Acts of Love in 1997, followed by Naked Soul in 1999 and Intimate in 2001. Hillside Stories followed in 2007.
[2][5]A historical career, not a present-day team profile
The CHICtribute memorial preserves a July 2011 notice of Jones’s death and an expanded career account. The legacy website’s artist identity is the subject of this biography; it is not a description of the current website’s founders or staff.
[3]Selected documented milestones
Dates reflect the cited account or catalog, with publication and capture dates kept separate.
| Date | Record | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Acts of Love, first solo album | [1][2][4][5] |
| July 1997–March 1998 | Musical direction for The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show | [1][2][4][5] |
| 15 June 1999 | Naked Soul catalog release date | [1][2][4][5] |
| 20 November 2001 | Intimate release announced in the October interview | [1][2][4][5] |
| 27 September 2007 | Hillside Stories catalog release date | [1][2][4][5] |
Sources & original documents
- Raymond Jones biography, 3 March 2001
Original page capture; the capture date is not necessarily its publication date.
- Raymond Jones: Now & Then, interview by pocat, October 2001
First-person interview, including State of Art, Intimate and links to the early listening and video pages.
- Raymond Jones memorial, CHICtribute
Memorial compiled around the July 2011 death notice and an expanded biography; the archive index dates its posting to 2012.
- Naked Soul on Apple Music
Album-specific record checked 28 September 2026: 15 June 1999, 11 tracks; phonogram line uegmusic.com.
- Hillside Stories on Apple Music
Catalog checked 28 September 2026: 27 September 2007, 13 tracks, approximately 52 minutes, phonogram line Uegmusic.com. Access varies by region and subscription.