_HEARTBREAKING LOSS: Music World Mourns the Sudden and Tragic Passing of Donnell Jones Following Fatal Car Accident_

_HEARTBREAKING LOSS: Music World Mourns the Sudden and Tragic Passing of Donnell Jones Following Fatal Car Accident_

Donell Jones

 

 

Donell Jones (born May 22, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He met record producer Eddie F in the mid-1990s and signed with his record label Untouchables Entertainment, beginning his career as a songwriter for its parent label, LaFace Records. Through the labels, he released his debut studio album, My Heart (1996) to poor commercial reception, although it spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries with the singles “In the Hood” and his cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet.”

 

 

Jones became best known for his second studio album Where I Wanna Be (1999) and its lead single, “U Know What’s Up” (featuring Lisa Lopes). The album received platinum certification by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), and the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100; its follow-up single, “Where I Wanna Be” peaked within the top 40 on the chart. His third album, Life Goes On (2002) reached number three on the Billboard 200 while his fourth album, Journey of a Gemini (2006) reached number 15. His compilation album, The Best of Donell Jones (2007) served as his final release with LaFace.

 

 

Life and career

 

Jones is the son of Renee Byrd and gospel singer Roy Jones. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois. He later met DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz and signed with Untouchables and LaFace Records, writing hits for Usher and 702.

 

 

1996–2007: Breakthrough with LaFace

 

In June 1996, Jones released his debut album, My Heart, on LaFace Records. While most of the album was produced by Jones himself, it also featured help from Eddie Ferrell’s Untouchables Entertainment production team, involving Mookie, Marks Sparks, Kenny Tonge, and Darin Whittington. A moderate commercial success, it peaked at number 30 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, but failed to reach the upper half of the US Billboard 200. Its first two singles, “In the Hood” and a cover of Stevie Wonder’s 1976 ballad “Knocks Me Off My Feet”, became top thirty hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well as the New Zealand Singles Chart.

 

 

In 1999, Jones enjoyed major success with the release of his second album, Where I Wanna Be. Boosted by its hit single “U Know What’s Up”, which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. “U Know What’s Up” was a global hit, peaking within the top ten of the charts in Belgium (Flanders), the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, “U Know What’s Up” entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for two consecutive weeks behind “The Masses Against the Classes” by Manic Street Preachers and “Born to Make You Happy” by Britney Spears. “Where I Wanna Be” peaked at number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. The album produced three further singles, including “Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me)” and “Where I Wanna Be,” the latter of which reached number two on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association

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