He is the eldest of three boys. His birthplace is Southampton, England, and he spent his early years in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, and attended the Royal Grammar School. He now lives with his family in Somerset, England.
When he was young, he used to give piano lessons. One of his clients was a girl named Jan Smith, who he later married. Whilst working with her, a vehicle crashed into their van, injuring Jan. She claimed compensation and used the money to buy Howard a synthesiser, a Moog Prodigy. The shop delivered two by mistake, and Howard liked the combination of the two so much that he paid for the extra one.
He hit the charts in 1983 with a song called "New Song," which made it into the UK top ten. Speaking with Songfacts, Jones explained the song is his manifesto, and why he wanted to get in the music business and write songs to begin with. Said Jones: "I was working in the factory at the time - I was doing the gigs at night and I was working in the factory. And I wanted to say to people, 'You can. It is possible to do what you really want to do if you've got enough guts and determination. You can do what you're really good at in this life if you set your mind to it.' And so really that's what that song's about. It's about letting go of fear and seeing both sides of an argument and throwing off the things that hold you back mentally."
Jones subsequently had three more hits over the next twelve months and a UK Number 1 album, Human's Lib. He acquired a hardcore fanbase made up of both starstruck teenagers and more mature music lovers, who saw the musicianship which went into the electronic sounds of his songs. His mother ran his fan club. Jones was a close temporal and stylistic contemporary of Nik Kershaw, and the two musicians were often conflated in the affections of the contemporary pop audience.
Howard was known as a respectable face of pop, combining innovative synthesiser music with strong feelings on animal rights and life's excesses. In his early days, he performed with a mime artist called Jed Hoile, who used to do improvised choreography while doused in white paint as Howard played behind him.
In the summer of 1984, he released a single called "Like To Get To Know You Well", which he said was 'dedicated to the original spirit of the Olympic Games'. Although it wasn't an official Olympic anthem for the Games in Los Angeles that summer, it caught on and was a huge worldwide hit. The sleeve featured the song title in ten different languages; while Howard sang the title line in French and German on the extended version. The song appeared in the film Better Off Dead.
Howard's second album was a ground breaking 'remix' album. It contained six songs, all but one of which had been previously released, but which appeared in elongated formats, including the multi-lingual version of "Like To Get To Know You Well". The album was called The 12 Inch Album and the sleeve featured a miniature Howard standing next to a 12-inch ruler.
When he released his second studio album, Dream Into Action, in 1985, he introduced his own backing band, including future Soul II Soul singer Caron Wheeler as one third of female backing vocal trio Afrodiziak. Playing bass guitar, meanwhile, was Howard's own brother Martin, who had to have an extra string added to his instrument to play some of Howard's bass lines, which were originally played on a keyboard without regard for the range of a real bass guitar. One of the singles released from this album, "No One Is To Blame", was later re-recorded and featured Phil Collins as drummer and producer.
In July 1985, Howard performed at Wembley Stadium as part of the Live Aid concert, singing his 1984 hit "Hide And Seek" while playing a piano belonging to Freddie Mercury.
Howard had his last UK Top 40 hit in 1986 and thereafter concentrated on production, songwriting and running a successful vegetarian restaurant, though he had Billboard Top 10 success in the States in the 1990s. His eldest son, Oisín (pronounced Osheen), was born in 1985 and is now an actor.
In 2005, he competed on the American TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, losing to Irene Cara. Although he lost the in-studio vote to Cara, he won the online poll vote.
There are other artists with the same name:
2. Howard Jones is the current lead singer of American metalcore bands Killswitch Engage and Blood Has Been Shed.
Jones resides in Connecticut. His first success was in Connecticut with the band Blood Has Been Shed. After the release of The Novella of Uriel, the band went on tour, but Jones was eventually approached for a bigger project. Howard Jones replaced the lead singer of Killswitch Engage, Jesse Leach, in July of 2002, shortly after the release of Alive or Just Breathing, Killswitch Engage's Roadrunner Records debut album.
Meanwhile, Blood Has Been Shed released their third album, Spirals in 2003. Critical reviews were mixed, with some saying the album was a bit stray from the music found on I Dwell and Novella, while fans found it to be the band's most sonically-challenging album yet.
The first time KSE fans heard Jones they were impressed by him. Later he would be heard on the song "When Darkness Falls", which was first released on the soundtrack for the movie Freddy vs. Jason. Finally, Killswitch Engage released their first album with Jones as the new singer, as well as Blood Has Been Shed drummer Justin Foley. The End of Heartache would spawn two successful singles, "Rose of Sharyn" and the Grammy-nominated title track, "The End of Heartache". There was a minor spot of controversy with some fans over the Grammy nomination, as the song that was picked was a remixed version that would eventually appear on the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack. The differences between the original recording and the remixed version are the fact that the song is sung in a traditional singing style rather than using the original scream track that appears on the album, and several sections of the song have been shortened for a more commercially dynamic vision.
In November 2006, Killswitch Engage released their fourth album (and second with Howard Jones) entitled As Daylight Dies. The album has spawned the singles "My Curse" and "Arms of Sorrow", and it has been cited by the band through numerous interviews that the album recalls influences from bands in the NOLA music scene, as well as metal bands like Pantera and Machine Head.
Despite his front man role in Killswitch Engage, Jones is still the lead singer for Blood Has Been Shed.
Aside from singing, Jones has also taken on the role of a manager to new and upcoming artists. Currently, he manages two bands, Twelve Tribes, Mikoto, and also the producer Zeuss.
He is also known for his vocal styles, which include deep, booming roars, a higher, raspier scream, and operatic clean vocals. The clean style is absent from most of his work with Blood Has Been Shed, however, with Killswitch Engage, he usually makes use of all of his vocal styles in almost every song, particularly in As Daylight Dies and Holy Diver.
3. Howard Jones is an English folk singer and musician. He was a member of The Electropathics and currently performs with Albireo and as a solo performer.
Wedding Song
Howard Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On your wedding day
With the one you love
To share the way
A life ahead of you
Youth left behind
Go out and make yourself
Some memories
despair and pleasure
Faced at every turn
And there's children
To save from harm's way
Three thousand doorways
Reveal a thousand more
Treasure each moment
Forever more
I promise to love you and do my best for you
I need you to help me to find my strength
Walk with me all through my life
My lover my husband my wife
Share this journey with me
Write this story with me
Life comes and it will go
And there's no time to sit and watch the grass grow
When we are old and grey you know we'll say
We went and made ourselves some memories
We're starting our life
We're starting together now
I need you to help me to find my strength
Walk with me all through my life
My lover my husband my wife
Share this journey with me
Write this story with me
The song "Wedding Song" by Howard Jones is a beautiful and meaningful statement about the journey of two individuals starting their new life together. The first verse of the song sets the scene of a wedding day, with the bride and groom sharing their future with each other. Jones sings of the "youth left behind" and the promise of "memories" yet to be made. This speaks to the idea that while youth is fleeting, the memories that we create with the ones we love are what make life truly valuable.
The second verse is a reminder that life is full of both "despair and pleasure," but that through it all, there is love and the potential to make a positive impact in the world, especially when it comes to saving children "from harm's way." The line "three thousand doorways reveal a thousand more" suggests that the journey ahead may be unpredictable and full of surprises, but that every moment should be cherished and viewed as a treasure.
The chorus is a repeated vow to love and support each other throughout the ups and downs of life, to walk through each other's struggles and triumphs, and to share in the creation of a unique and meaningful story together. In sum, the song emphasizes the importance of starting the journey of marriage together, of never losing sight of the beauty around us, and of sharing our experiences with those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see you
I envision you standing there beautifully
On your wedding day
On that special day when you'll be joined with your significant other
With the one you love
Walking down the aisle with your soulmate
To share the way
Where you both exchange vows and embark on a journey together
A life ahead of you
About to start an exciting journey
Youth left behind
Although leaving youthful days behind, new experiences await
Go out and make yourself
Explore and create your own opportunities
Some memories
Build memories that will last forever
Despair and pleasure
Challenges and joys will occur throughout your journey
Faced at every turn
These challenges and joys will be present at every milestone
And there's children
Children will be involved, and it's important to protect them
To save from harm's way
Creating a safe space for them to thrive
Three thousand doorways
Numerous opportunities will come your way
Reveal a thousand more
Many more doors will follow
Treasure each moment
Appreciate every experience
Forever more
For eternity
I promise to love you and do my best for you
Commitment to loving and giving your all to your spouse
I need you to help me to find my strength
Encouraging each other to be the best version of themselves
Walk with me all through my life
Being together for every milestone and challenge in life
My lover my husband my wife
Addressing your spouse by their different roles in your life
Share this journey with me
Inviting your spouse to embark on this journey together
Write this story with me
Creating memories and experiences that make up your life story
Life comes and it will go
Life is fleeting and should be cherished
And there's no time to sit and watch the grass grow
Don't waste time, enjoy each moment as it comes.
When we are old and grey you know we'll say
When looking back, we'll reminisce and tell stories of our experiences
We went and made ourselves some memories
We built a lifetime of memories together through shared experiences
We're starting our life
Starting a new chapter in life with your significant other
We're starting together now
Beginning the journey with your partner and promising to be there for each other
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ELVIN ROSS, HERBERT MAGWOOD, TYLER EMMITT PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind