What is Mick Jones's Net Worth?
Mick Jones is a musician, songwriter, and record producer who has a net worth of $25 million. Not to be confused with Mick Jones, a fellow British musician who earned fame as a member of the Clash, this Mick Jones is best known as a member of the rock band Foreigner, which he co-founded in 1976. With the band, he recorded such hit songs as "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice," "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," and "I Want to Know What Love Is." Beyond Foreigner, Jones has produced albums by Van Halen, Bad Company, and Billy Joel, among other artists.
Early Life
Mick Jones was born on December 27, 1944 in Portsmouth, England. Taking up guitar at an early age, he decided to pursue a music career.
Career Beginnings
Jones launched his professional music career in the early 1960s as a member of the British instrumental rock band Nero and the Gladiators, which was led by keyboardist Mike O'Neill. The group had two minor hits in the UK, "Entry of the Gladiators" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King." Jones played guitar with Nero and the Gladiators in 1963, and the band dissolved the following year. He subsequently worked as a songwriter and session musician in France for artists such as Sylvie Vartan, Françoise Hardy, and Johnny Hallyday. Between 1965 and 1971, Jones recorded in France with former Nero and the Gladiators band mate Tommy Brown.
Spooky Tooth
After leaving France and returning to the UK, Jones joined Gary Wright, formerly of the rock band Spooky Tooth, to form the band Wonderwheel. In 1972, the pair reformed Spooky Tooth, and Jones served as the guitarist until the group disbanded in 1974. During Jones's tenure, Spooky Tooth released the studio albums "You Broke My Heart So… I Busted Your Jaw," "Witness," and "The Mirror."
Foreigner
In New York City in 1976, Jones formed the rock band Foreigner with multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, formerly of the band King Crimson. The pair soon recruited lead singer Lou Gramm. The original lineup was rounded out by drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, and bassist Ed Gagliardi. Foreigner was immediately successful with its self-titled debut studio album; released in 1977, it peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hit singles "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice." The band's 1978 follow-up album, "Double Vision," was an even greater commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 and launching two hit singles, "Hot Blooded" and the title track. Foreigner's third album, "Head Games," reached number five in the US upon its release in 1979. McDonald and Greenwood subsequently left the band. However, this did not harm the commercial performance of Foreigner's next album, "4," which reached number one in the US and cracked the top five in the UK, Australia, and Germany following its release in 1981. The album included the hit singles "Urgent," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," and "Juke Box Hero."
After the huge success of "4," Foreigner released its first greatest hits album, "Records," in late 1982. The album went on to become one of the band's best-selling records. Foreigner continued its success in 1984 with its fifth studio album, "Agent Provocateur," which made it to number one on the charts in the UK and Germany. Moreover, the album contained the band's biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is." Following a break, Foreigner released its sixth studio album, "Inside Information," in late 1987. After another, longer break, the group released "Unusual Heat" in 1991; it's the only Foreigner album with lead singer Johnny Edwards, who replaced Gramm after the latter left the group the year prior. Gramm returned for Foreigner's subsequent album, "Mr. Moonlight," which came out in late 1994. The band then went on a long hiatus from studio recording, returning 15 years later to release its ninth studio album, "Can't Slow Down." It was the band's first studio release with lead singer Kelly Hansen and bassist Jeff Pilson.
Other Musical Projects
Beyond Foreigner, Jones has produced some albums for other artists. He has producing credits on Van Halen's 1986 album "5150," Bad Company's 1986 album "Fame and Fortune," and Billy Joel's 1989 album "Storm Front." Jones has also produced albums by Ben E. King and Tina Arena. Additionally, he released an eponymous solo album in 1989.
Among his other musical endeavors, Jones played guitar on Peter Frampton's album "Wind of Change" and on George Harrison's album "Dark Horse." Later, he co-wrote the song "Bad Love" with Eric Clapton and co-wrote "On Her Mind" with Duncan Sheik. In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, Jones played with the blues rock band Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.
Personal Life
In the early 1980s, Jones married socialite and writer Ann Dexter-Jones, the mother of musicians Mark and Samantha Ronson and fashion designer Charlotte Ronson. With his wife, Jones has two children named Annabelle and Alexander, the former of whom is an actress. Jones also has two sons named Roman and Christopher from prior relationships. In 2007, Jones and his wife divorced; they remarried a decade later.