Donell Jones

Beginning with his 1996 album My Heart, singer/songwriter/producer Donell Jones recorded a
jazzy and soulful style of urban pop for La Face Records and scored a few modest singles in the
process. His first two singles -- "In the Hood" and "Knocks Me Off My Feet" -- established his
repuation within the cluttered urban market. In particular, the latter song, originally a Stevie Wonder
song from Songs in the Key of Life (1976), became a substantial hit for Jones, climbing to the
upper reaches of the Billboard R&B chart and driving the album up the charts as well. In addition to
his own music, he also wrote songs for other urban artists such as Usher ("Think of You") and 702
("Get It Together") among others.
Born the son of a gospel singer, Jones submersed himself in music at a young age. Later, when he
began to fall victim to the tempations of Chicago's Southside, where he grew up. At one point, after
involving himself with gang culture, he decided to dedicate himself to music rather than the streets.
He met Edward "Eddie F" Ferrell (former Heavy D & the Boyz member turned Untouchables
Entertainment president), and the two formed a partnership with La Face. Following the success of
Usher's "Think of You" in 1994 (number eight R&B), a song which Jones wrote, La Face
executives L.A. Reid and Babyface gave the blossoming artist the go-ahead to begin work on his
solo debut. Executive produced by Ferrell, Reid, and Babyface, My Heart peaked at number 30
on Billboard's R&B chart in 1996, propelled primarily by the success of "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
as well as two other singles: "In the Hood" and "You Should Know."
When Jones returned three years later in 1999 with his second album, Where I Wanna Be, he had
become known as an accomplished songwriter. He penned songs for 702 ("Get It Together,"
1997) and Drea ("Not Gonna Letcha," 1998) and was well regarded within the industry as a result.
Unsurprisingly then, Jones attained impressive success with Where I Wanna Be and its singles: "U
Know What's Up" and "Shorty (Got Her Eyes on Me)." Shortly after the album's release, Jones
contributed a song to the Shaft soundtrack ("Do What I Gotta Do") and to Guru's Streetsoul
album ("Hustlin' Daze," which he also contributed vocals to). Following some time off in 2001,
Jones returned in 2002 with his third album, Life Goes On.