Gloria Jones Discography

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Gloria Jones was born on September 12 1946 in Longview, Texas. Gloria moved to Los Angeles with her family.
At Edison Junior High she met Fanita James and Jewell Cobbs. These three girls would form the vocal group The Dreamers in 1954, along with twin sisters Nanette and Annette Williams and Pat Howard. They were discovered by Richard Berry at a school talent show and Berry put the group to the test on several of his singles, recorded and released in 1954 and 1955 on Flair Records. Gloria moonlighted on an Etta James session for Modern in July 1955, singing backup on "Good Rockin` Daddy". One year later, in 1956 The Dreamers had the first chance to record on their own (Since You`ve Been Gone/Do Not Forget), on Flip. By 1957 Pat Howard and Jewell Cobbs had quit the group and the remaining quartet had changed their name to the Blossoms and recorded three singles for Capitol, 1957-58. When Annette left to have a baby, her place was taken by Darlene Wright (later Darlene Love) and after Nanette Williams left in 1960, the Blossoms were a trio: Gloria, Fanita and Darlene. They managed just one Top 100 entry ("Son-in-Law" on Challenge, # 81 in 1961), but were always in demand as session singers. A list of all the hits with the Blossoms singing backup would make this a very long piece.
Gloria left the group in 1962. Her next group was The Girlfriends, with ex-Dreamer Nanette Williams and Carolyn Willis. They had a # 49 hit in 1964 with the very Spector-ish "My One and Only Jimmy Boy", written and produced by David Gates for Colpix Records. Also in 1964, Gloria recorded the original version of "Tainted Love" (written and produced by Ed Cobb of the Four Preps), which would become a million seller for the British group Soft Cell in 1982. Unfortunately, Gloria`s version went unnoticed at the time and her career as a soul singer never really got off the ground, she had more than regional success, and (like several other minor American soul singers) moved to Great Britain, where the cultish devotion of Northern Soul fans ensured regular work.
In 1973, Jones joined T. Rex (which by that time was fading rapidly) as a keyboardist and backing vocalist. Becoming romantically involved with the singer, Marc Bolan, she also helped sway him into a more soul/dance-oriented direction. Bolan in turn helped her out on her solo album Vixen (1976), playing guitar and writing songs.
After having a child, their time together came to a tragic end when Bolan was killed in a car accident in 1977, she was the driver of the car, a purple Austin Mini that crashed into a roadside tree near Putney in south west London because of a broken tire and killed Bolan on September 16, 1977. Gloria was subsequently charged with drunk driving. She recuperated from her wounds and eventually continued her musical career.