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James Yancey Jones

September 30, 1940 – September 4, 2023

Known professionally as Tail Dragger, Jones, was an
American Chicago blues singer. He performed from

the 1960s and released four albums. Jones
gained a certain notoriety in 1993, following his
conviction for second-degree murder for the

killing of another blues musician, Boston Blackie.

Jones was born in Altheimer, Arkansas, on
September 30, 1940, and was raised by his

grandparents after his parents separated when he was
a baby.

During those formative years he saw both Sonny Boy
Williamson II and Boyd Gilmore perform at a little club
named Jack Rabbitts in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. After relocating
to Chicago in 1966, Jones worked as an auto mechanic. He

began to perform locally and got lucky when his
musical hero, Howlin' Wolf, allowed him to sit in
with him at concerts. This influence, and the raw,

gritty approach he had admired in the musical
stylings of Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy
Waters, and Willie Dixon, made Jones
concentrate on a "low-down" style of Chicago

blues.

Originally he was known as Crawlin' James, a
nickname he acquired from his habit of crawling

around on stage whilst performing. Later on,
‘Wolf’ named him Tail Dragger because Jones often
arrived late for gigs. By the early 1970s, Jones had

become a full-time singer and he utilised notable
backing musicians, including Willie Kent, Hubert
Sumlin, Carey Bell, Kansas City Red, Little Mack

Simmons, Big Leon Brooks, and Eddie Shaw.

Jones made four CDs but his joint work with Bob
Corritore which resulted in the 2012 CD and DVD

release “Longtime Friends in the Blues”, is his
outstanding legacy.

Ian K McKenzie