Photo via Melvin Seals on FB
Vocalist Gloria Jones – best known for her work with the Jerry Garcia Band – passed away on Friday, Feb. 1.
Jones started performing with the Jerry Garcia Band in September 1984 and stuck with the group until their final performance in April 1995 (Garcia passed away that August). Affectionately known as “The Jerryettes” Jones and fellow vocalist Jacklyn LaBranch gave the Jerry Garcia Band its soulful, gospel-leaning sound. (Jones also spent many years backing Melvin Seals in his own JGB Band.)
Fellow JGB alumnus Cheryl Rucker broke the news of Jones’ passing, writing “God has another beautiful soul for himself.”
Jones performed on large stages throughout her career, and played Red Rocks as recently as 2017, as she joined an all-star band for Garcia’s 75th birthday.
“It’s so sad to hear that Gloria Jones has passed away,” Seals wrote in a Facebook tribute. “She was a wonderful soul and I feel blessed she was my friend and bandmate. The countless hours we spent together on stage, in rehearsals, on the road and off…I have so many wonderful memories. I started with Jerry in 1980 and we decided to add vocalists. In 1984, Gloria Jones joined and the sweet sounds of Jaclyn LaBranch and Gloria Jones lifted us up, always. Love you Gloria. RIP.”
Watch Jones perform “Tangled Up in Blue” at Red Rocks with Bob Weir, Melvin Seals, Oteil Burbridge, Kamasi Washington and Tom Hamilton, Duane Trucks below:
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A Word on Gloria Jones and Jacklyn LaBranch – GBB Live
June 28, 2021 at 10:51 pm[…] up to the period when Jerry Garcia passed away. Jacklyn LaBranch and Gloria Jones were nicknamed The Jerryettes and were instrumental in creating the band’s soul food sound. Over the years following Jerry […]
Walter Sobchack
February 4, 2019 at 8:51 am4/23/95 the Warfield…the last ever JGB show. We’re driving home afterwards on the lower deck of the Bay bridge.
There’s an electric blue Honda CRV with a SYF sticker on the back window.
There’s 6 of us in my friend’s Toyota SUV.
I notice that its Gloria Jones driving.
We all hang out to windows and BBC wave as we’re driving along side each other. Wouldn’t surprise me if she was thinking ” oh Lord please don’t have these freaks follow me home” lol.
After treasure island she merged right towards Oakland and we merged left towards Berkeley. Absolutely loved when she would whoop hoot and holler between and during songs.
RIP GloJo 🙏❤
Jim
February 4, 2019 at 8:04 amThe nice ones passing on. i am getting old. One more to sing back-up behind Jerry up in the Big Blue.
Chris
February 3, 2019 at 1:58 pmRIP. Loved the sound the Jerryettes brought to JGB.