Born on February 23: Howard Jones, the artist who electrified the 80s

Howard Jones was born in Southampton, England, in 1955. He was the eldest of four boys who, like him, were to become musicians, but with varying success.

Little Howard discovered music through the piano at the age of seven. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Canada. It was here that he formed his first band, Warrior. But the adventure came to an end, an album later, when Howard returned to England. 
 
In the 80s, the young man struggled to get noticed, spending his life on stage and playing in several bands. In 1983, he signed his first contract with Warner. His first song, “New Song”, a new wave number, reached the top of the US and UK charts in record time. It wasn't the only song on the album to meet with success, and this first opus, “Human's Lib”, went double platinum. The famous “What Is Love?” and “Hide And Seek” also feature on the program. Howard's arrival on the music scene was quite remarkable, and the following years saw no let-up in his rise. In 1985, his third album, “Dream Into Action”, was released, featuring the song “No One Is To Blame”. Based on an idea by Phil Collins, they reworked the song together, giving him the biggest hit of his career. 

Albums followed, as did collaborations with other artists, seeing as Howard also wished to write for others. His dance tracks include “Heaven Give Me Words” and “Your Wildlife” by the band Propaganda. He has also set up his own label, Dtox, enabling him to record several albums in his own studio. He also spends a lot of time on stage, travelling the world for months at a time. 
 
His latest album, “Transform”, was released in 2019, in collaboration with Brian Wayne of BT, one of the gurus of American trance and IDM. Howard Jones continues to explore the frontiers of electronic music...

(Céline Massart - Tr.: MH - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)
Photo: Portrait of Howard Jones in the salons of the President Hotel, Brussels (Belgium), October 15, 1986.