Howard Jones is one of the musicians who changed the way audiences perceived synthesizers in the 1980s. Instead of a cold electronic sound, he showed that this instrument could convey emotion and become a key part of pop music, and he recently shared his story of his journey to global fame on the podcast “Rock & Roll High School”.
During the interview, Jones spoke about the challenges he faced early in his career and how difficult it was to convince people in the music industry of his potential. However, manager Paul Conroy "put his career on the line" and stood up for Jones. After being rejected by Stiff Records, the manager secured him a contract with Warner.
Jones quickly became a global star thanks to hits like “New Song” and “What Is Love?”, and one of the highlights of his career was his performance at the historic Live Aid concert in 1985 at Wembley Stadium.
It was there that he experienced a moment he would never forget, because at that event he met his musical idol, David Bowie, who praised him.
"It was a wonderful moment for me, because he had a huge influence on me as a musician, a writer and a person. The fact that he recognized me and what I was doing was absolutely amazing," Jones said.
The Live Aid performance brought him another unforgettable encounter with a music legend. Jones still considers the photo of him with Paul McCartney, taken by Linda McCartney, one of his most treasured memories.
"We talked for half an hour... it was incredible. I was very lucky to experience it," he said.
Four decades later, Howard Jones remains true to the curiosity, optimism, and Buddhist philosophy that have marked his life and career.
MV
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