Neal Jones

b. 22 March 1922, Scots Hill, Tennessee, USA. He learned guitar as a boy and first worked on WTJS Jackson in 1940 with Eddy Arnold And The Johnson Brothers. He relocated to WREC Memphis and played lead guitar with Curly Fox And Texas Ruby but later rejoined the Johnson Brothers at WKPT Kingsport. In May 1942, they moved to WDOD Chattanooga, where he also played fiddle within their programme. He could only play three fiddle tunes and was somewhat embarrassed at one show to find Curly Fox in the audience. He was drafted in October 1942 and served as a radar operator during World War II. During these years, he played guitar with a service band. In March 1946, he returned to work with Arnold at WTJS, where he also incorporated comedy into his act. During the late 40s, he also worked with Billy Walker. In the early 50s, he became a speciality act at WMPS Memphis and toured with several acts including the Louvin Brothers, the Blackwood Brothers and Sonny James. He also became a regular on the dailyShindig Show on WFAA Dallas. Between 1954 and 1958, he worked radio and television at WBAP Fort Worth, Texas, where at times he co-hostedBarn Dance with Pat Boone and his own dailyThe Jones Place, which at one time had Willie Nelson as a regular cast member. His group, at times, included Johnny Gimble (fiddle), Paul Buskirk (mandolin), Bill Simmons (piano) and Slim Harbert (bass). In the late 50s, he also hostedJones Junction on KTLA Shreveport, Louisiana and worked with Jimmie Davis. In the early 60s, he began to combine his performing with work as a disc jockey and presented radio and television programmes on several California and Texas stations. In 1971, he moved to Nashville presenting syndicated shows, includingInside Nashville but throughout the 70s, he also became involved in station management. In 1985, he appeared as a soloist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. He first recorded at WFAA Dallas, in 1953, but joined Columbia Records in 1954 and recorded several sessions for the label. A compilation of 16 of his recordings, four previously unissued, was released in album form by a German label in 1987, by which time Jones, who had the nickname of ‘Tywhop’, was living in retirement in Waynesboro, Tennessee.