Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jonesis a Jamaican singer, songwriter, lyricist, supermodel, record producer, and actress. She was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica and raised by her grandparents. At 13 she moved with her siblings to their parents' home in Syracuse, New York. Jones started out as a model, initially in New York state, then in Paris, working for Yves St. Laurent, Claude Montana, and Kenzo Takada, and appearing on the covers of Elle, Vogue, and Stern working with Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and...
ProfessionPop Singer
Date of Birth19 May 1948
CitySpanish Town, Jamaica
I loved all those classic figures from the '30s and '40s... Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth. They had such glamour and style. I loved the movies of those times too - so much attention paid to details, lights, clothing, the way the studios would develop talent.
I go feminine, I go masculine. I am both, actually. I think the male side is a bit stronger in me, and I have to tone it down sometimes. I'm not like a normal woman, that's for sure.
That's what they do in Argentina. Have a little wine and talk. Then have some coffee and talk. Then, go back to the wine.
I didn't think I had a voice at all, and I still think of myself as an interpreter of songs more than a singer. I thought it was too deep; people thought I was a man. I had a very strong Jamaican accent, too; the accent really messed me up for auditions.
I came from a very strict background, and didn't hear any Jamaican music when I was growing up.
I don't take the English press seriously at all because all they want is dirt... I hate them.
You can't expect your children to be perfect.
When you become such a strong personality in music, it's hard for people to accept you as a different character.
When I perform on stage I become those male bullies, those dominators from my childhood. That's probably why it's so scary, because they scared me.
I can look at a fur and tell if it's good or not.
I wear my furs all the time. I wear like three different ones in a day.
I only started getting into furs when the designers I liked started making them.
There're lots of musicians in my family, too. My mother sings incredibly well. I've got to make a record with my mother's voice on it. She sings a lyric soprano. We do the opposite. I'm a baritone. She's a star singer in her church. She always does her solo.
Rock n' roll can get quite overwhelming. You can get caught up in the cycle.