Steve Jones life and biography

Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.

Steve Jones was born in Shepherd’s Bush, London. Steve has stated that his style of guitar-playing is derived from that of Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls and his early influences were Glam Rock icons like Roxy Music and David Bowie. He was an only child and his father Don Jarvis, an amateur boxer, left when he was two years old.

Up to the age of twelve he grew up in Hammersmith with his young mother, who worked as a hairdresser, and his grandparents. He then moved to Benbow Road in Shepherd’s Bush with his mother and stepfather where they lived in a one bedroomed basement.

Jones never got on with his stepfather, who made his living making gaskets for electric cookers, “he was an arsehole, I was just extra baggage.” Problems began to occur from a young age and in 1972 he was the subject of a council care-order. As a teenager Jones was frequently in trouble with the police. He was a kleptomaniac and was arrested for a range of crimes including car theft, shoplifting and burglary. In the documentary The Filth and the Fury Jones said he grew up watching his parents steal from shops and during his teens he racked up 14 criminal convictions.

He spent a year in a remand centre - which he says was more enjoyable than being at home, and has said that the Sex Pistols saved him from a life of crime or even prison.

In 1975, Jones went on to co-found the Sex Pistols with Paul Cook, Glen Matlock, and later, John Lydon. Jones is a self-taught guitar player, primarily playing Gibson Les Paul electric guitars in his early years.

After the Sex Pistols broke up in 1978, Jones and drummer Paul Cook co-founded The Professionals. They released one album, but disbanded after a serious car crash while on tour in the US in 1981. The Professionals' debut album was I Didn't See It Coming. Jones was also a member of Chequered Past (led by Michael Des Barres) from 1982 to 1985. They released a self-titled album in 1984.

The Sex Pistols, including Jones, played a gig for the 30th anniversary of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols at the Brixton Academy on 8 November 2007. Due to popular demand, two further gigs were announced on 9 November and 10 November. This demand led to two further gigs being announced, making five in total. A further gig in Brixton on 12 November was followed by one at the MEN Arena in Manchester on 17 November. The Glasgow S.E.C.C on 18 November completed the tour.

In February 2004, Jones began hosting a daily radio program in Los Angeles, called 'Jonesy's Jukebox', on Indie 103.1 FM. The premise of the show was that the self-described "Sire of Wilshire" could do whatever he wanted (within FCC rules), with no direction from station management. You can hear a snippet from the show in the opening scenes of the 2006 film, The Dog Problem.

Discography:
-Mercy (MCA, 1987)
-Fire and Gasoline (MCA, 1989)

Partial filmography:
-The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980)
-Punk and Its Aftershocks (1980)
-D.O.A. (1980)
-Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1981)
-Roseanne (1994) One Episode
-Mascara (1999)
-Four Dogs Playing Poker (2000)
-The Filth and the Fury (2000)
-25 Years of Punk (2001)
-Classic Albums: Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (2002)
-Hooligans & Thugs: Soccer's Most Violent Fan Fights (2003)
-Punk: Attitude (2005)
-Played (2006)
-The Dog Problem (2006)
-Cutlass (2007)
-Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who (2007)

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