Jackson Free Press

When Jackson native Brian Jones first realized his passion for music as a child, it was something that he found came naturally to him. He began singing at age 3 and playing guitar at age 6, taking inspiration from artists such as KISS. By the time he was 12 years old, Jones was so enamored with the art of music that he decided to make a lifelong commitment to the craft.

At that time, he began playing gigs at venues around the state to establish a name for himself. Eventually, he decided to venture out to play across the Southeast and started performing with bands such as Full Moon Circus and Ocean Springs-based Papercut Massacre of Wind-up Records, though the Jackson area has remained his base of operations.

Through touring, Jones became acquainted with New Orleans-based hard-rock act Lillian Axe and inadvertently started another chapter of his career. He says that, in his youth, he was a huge fan of Lillian Axe, a band that has sold more than two million records worldwide and entered the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010. The group is best known for tracks such as "Show a Little Love" and "True Believer." In 2009, something happened that Jones says he thought was unfathomable when the band reached out to him, asking if he would come to New Orleans to try out for the position of lead vocalist, and to his surprise, he got the job.

"It was my own personal rock-star moment," he says. "Growing up watching and loving this band and years later being asked to sing for them was amazing."

Jones' first time performing with Lillian Axe was at The Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans, which he says was a nerve-wracking experience for him throughout the set because of the pressure from the crowd. Thankfully, the audience reception was positive, he says, and his new fan base welcomed him into the fold.

Jones has been working in the music industry for 29 consecutive years and says he doesn't plan on stopping any time soon, even with the hefty workload he has these days. He currently divides his time between touring, managing his new promotion company, Dirty Outlaw Entertainment, which he and colleague Darrel Arnold started in January, and being a full-time father to his daughters, Ireland Versa Jones, 5, and Lyric Moon Jones, 6. He is also working closely with Kent Bruce, the head of studio operations and chief engineer at Malaco Records, to record a self-titled album while also working on Lillian Axe's next album, which is set for release at the end of the year. He says that it is important to him that people understand the love he pours into his music and into his home state, and he wants people to believe in his commitment to his craft as much as their own.

"I would like my music to reach someone, even if it's just one person," Jones says. "That's all that matters. If I can do that, I feel like my job was done."

With the experience that he's had touring, Jones says that the division in the local music scene can be frustrating at times and hopes that we will see more camaraderie among Jackson artists in the future.

"I try to help anyone I can, and in turn, I hope they would help me," he says. "Jackson is my home and will always be my home. I just want more consistent unity."

Brian Jones performs at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 12, at Georgia Blue (223 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601-919-1900). For more information, find Brian Jones on Facebook.