One of the original legends of Memphis soul music, Booker T. Jones continues to perform songs that helped define generations of American music.
As the leader of Booker T. & the M.G.’s and a key figure at Stax Records, Jones helped shape the Memphis sound. His work earned him induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
His musical legacy stretches from Booker T. & the M.G.’s instrumental classic “Green Onions” to recordings with some of the biggest names in soul and R&B. Jones worked with Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave and Aretha Franklin, and contributed to Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood” and Albert King’s 1967 blues classic “Born Under a Bad Sign.”
Jones also collaborated with Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. As a musician, songwriter, arranger and producer, he became a central figure in the Memphis recording scene and helped create a body of music that remains instantly recognizable more than half a century later.
The influence of Booker T. & the M.G.’s extended well beyond Memphis. Their music was featured in “The Blues Brothers” films and has been covered and performed by countless artists around the world.
Now in his early 80s, Jones continues to perform with his own band and has shared the stage or worked with an extraordinary range of artists over his career, including Santana, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson and Neil Young.
South Jersey audiences will have the rare opportunity to see Jones perform for free Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
The evening begins at 7 p.m. with South Jersey rock and soul guitarist Billy Walton, who will pay tribute to the soul sound backed by the full Plaid Salmon horn section.
Then Booker T. Jones takes the stage, bringing to Atlantic City the unmistakable sound and songbook that helped make Memphis soul music part of the soundtrack of our lives.
