Billy Jones (Outlaws guitarist)

–

~Billy Jones the Outlaws Facebook~

William Harry Jones (November 20, 1949 – February 7, 1995) was an American guitarist and singer best known as a founding member of the Outlaws.

Jones was a major contributor to the discography and commercial success of the Outlaws.Hughie Thomasson went to see him play & offered him the job as he knew what he saw & Billy Jones was now an Outlaw forever~ Billy grew up in Tampa, FL but lived for a long time in Boulder Colorado. While in high school Billy was a track star holding the record in the "440". A very talented musician he played drums~keyboards/piano. He was offered a scholarship to Julliard School of Music but turned it down electing to attend the University of South Florida. He was a math major and graduated near the top of his class. He taught and tutored math for a while and contemplated teaching full time, but music was Billy's calling. He recorded one album with a band called H.Y. Sledge before joining Outlaws. He was initially brought on as a keyboardist but soon switched to lead guitar helping crystallize the trademark Outlaws sound. After major success throughout the '70s, Jones parted ways with the band in 1981 after the album Ghost Riders.^[1] On February 7, 1995, it was reported that Billy had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.^[2] He is buried in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Tampa, Florida.

References

External links

• PictureTrail: Billy Jones
• Billy Jones at Find a Grave