Composer Sir Charles Jones, a collaborator of throwback and modern in his traditional Southern style of R&B, was born Charles Jones, Jr. on April 25, 1973, in Akron, Ohio, to composer/pianist Charles Jones Sr. and Blanche Jones, a civil rights activist from Birmingham.

From 1994 to 1999, Jones toured as a background singer with composer Marvin Sease on what was known as the Chitlin’ Circuit across the South. He then relocated to Jackson, Mississippi. Jones’s debut album, Sir Charles Jones, was released in 2000. Jones’ sophomore album, Love Machine, spent 57 weeks on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It peaked at no. 28. Other Jones hits included “Friday,” “Is Anybody Lonely?” “Just Can’t Let Go,” “For Better or Worse,” and “Just Like Fire.”