Grace Jones

Biography

Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her modelling career in New York, signing with Wilhelmina Models. After moving to Paris, she worked for fashion houses such as Yves St. Laurent and Kenzo, while appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue Hommes. Jones was photographed by Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer, and emerged as one of the most prominent Black models of the 1970s. She earned recognition for her androgynous appearance and bold features, and has been cited as influential in early discussions of gender expression.

Beginning in 1977, Jones embarked on a music career, securing a record deal with Island Records and becoming associated with New York City's Studio 54-centered disco scene. During this time, she was often referred to in the media as "Disco Queen", with Jet dubbing her "the greatest of them all" in 1979. In the early 1980s, she moved toward a new wave style that drew on reggae, funk, post-punk, and pop music, frequently collaborating with both the graphic designer Jean-Paul Goude and the musical duo Sly & Robbie.

She scored Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart with "Private Life", "Pull Up to the Bumper", "Love Is the Drug", and "Slave to the Rhythm". In 1982, she released the music video collection A One Man Show, directed by Goude, which earned a nomination for Best Video Album at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards. Her albums include Warm Leatherette (1980), Nightclubbing (1981), and Slave to the Rhythm (1985). She later continued to collaborate with contemporary artists such as Gorillaz and Janelle Monáe, and received another Grammy nomination for her work as a featured artist on Renaissance (2022) by Beyoncé.

As an actress, Jones appeared in independent films before landing her first mainstream role as Zula in the fantasy-action film Conan the Destroyer (1984). She later appeared in the James Bond film A View to a Kill (1985) as May Day, and starred as a vampire in Vamp (1986), all of which earned her nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1992, Jones acted in the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, and contributed music for the accompanying soundtrack.

Jones has been cited as an influence on numerous artists across music and fashion. She was ranked 82nd on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll (1999), and received a Q Idol Award in 2008. In 2016, Billboard ranked her as the 40th greatest dance club artist of all time.

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