Charles Ray Jones

Charles Ray Jones was born in Mt Pleasant, Texas in 1941. He came to Lodi, California with his family when they were searching for work right after the war was over in 1946.
He was diagnosed with polio when he was 9 years old and although he survived that, was told he could never do anything strenuous. During that time, he learned how to play the guitar, played football in high school and played with a band where he and a friend wrote songs to play on the road.
The band, called “The Fretts” was picked up by K-Joy Studios in Stockton, California. The song was called, “Rockin’ Baby” and co-written by Charles Jones. It was recorded in Monterey by Pat Patterson Enterprises on a Blue Moon label, subsidized by Decca Records. They went on the road and played it on television in 1958 on channel 13 in Sacramento, California ; and channel 6 for San Jose Bandstand in San Jose, California. They made and sold 50,000 records in a short period of time. It was on the number one charts for six weeks in the local area. It was a rock and roll song. He played on the same stage as Chuck Berry at Riverbank Club House in Riverbank, California and Del Reeves in Sacramento and recorded in the same studio as Fats Domino. Johnny Rivers borrowed his guitar in Riverbank, California to play with Chuck Berry. They were scheduled to play on the same stage, but Johnny Rivers broke the string on his guitar and didn’t have a string to replace it, so Charlie didn’t play, but his cousin, Jackie Cox did. James Burton also spent the night one night on his way to Los Angeles to do a session with Ricky Nelson.
Charles Jones, only 17 at the time, was not on the label because of his age. Pat Patterson offered to cut him by himself on a country label with the Dell Reys, but he refused because at that time, his feeling was that rock and roll was taking over and that’s what he wanted to do. The band broke up when the band members started getting married.
Later he realized that he had country roots persuaded by rock and roll. Also, gospel has a favorite place in his heart, being raised by a Christian mother. Now, he’s back writing songs again!
His inspiration was his cousin, Jackie, where they played in church as well as for parties. His favorite artists were and are: Willie Nelson; Buck Owens; Johnny Cash; Chuck Berry; Vince Gill; George Strait; Clint Black; Fats Domino; Elvis Presley; Brooke Benton and many more.