Howard Jones

Howard Jones (born Southampton, England, 1955) has been described as “one of the defining figures of mid-‘80s synth pop.”

Jones learned to play piano as a child, and joined his first band as a teenager after he and his parents moved to Canada.

After relocating back to England, Jones continued to play in a number of bands. He also enrolled in the Royal Northern College of Music (from which he eventually dropped out). By the late 70’s, he had taken to performing solo, backed only by synthesizers and drum machines.

These solo performances attracted the attention of John Peel, who offered him a session on his BBC radio programme. This led to opportunities to open for established synth pop bands across England, and, finally to a record contract with WEA (Electra in the US).