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Mickey Jones transitioned from a highly successful career as a touring and session drummer for iconic musicians to a prolific character actor with over a hundred film and television credits.
Mickey Jones served as the drummer for singer Trini Lopez, contributing to hits like "If I Had a Hammer," "La Bamba," and "America." This partnership solidified Jones's early career as a professional musician.
Jones toured with Bob Dylan as his back-up drummer during Dylan's influential 1966 world tour, including notable European and Australian dates. This period was pivotal in rock history.
Mickey Jones was a founding member and drummer of The First Edition, a band that achieved significant commercial success with hits such as "Something's Burning," "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," and "Just Dropped In." The band also had its own television variety show.
Jones appeared in a commercial for Breath Savers, portraying a subway-riding biker. This commercial appearance highlights his presence in mainstream advertising.
Mickey Jones was born on June 10, 1941, in Houston, Texas. His musical journey began at Sunset High School in Dallas, where he learned to play drums and formed his first band, The Catalinas. After a period working various jobs, Jones moved to Los Angeles and reconnected with Trini Lopez, becoming his permanent drummer. He achieved early success with Lopez, playing on hits such as “If I Had a Hammer,” “La Bamba,” and “America.” In 1966, Jones joined Bob Dylan’s band as his back-up drummer, replacing Levon Helm, and participated in Dylan’s 1966 world tour across Australia and Europe, including the notable Free Trade Hall performance in Manchester, England.
Following his time with Bob Dylan, Jones pursued acting briefly before joining Kenny Rogers in 1967 to form The First Edition. As the drummer for The First Edition, Jones contributed to the band’s widespread success throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, which included hit songs like “Something’s Burning,” “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,” and “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” The band also hosted their own television variety show, “Rollin’ on the River,” later shortened to “Rollin’.” Over his two-decade musical career, Jones contributed to seventeen gold records.
After The First Edition disbanded in 1976, Jones fully dedicated himself to an acting career. He became a recognizable character actor, making numerous appearances in both film and television. Notable film roles include a mechanic in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983), a trucker in “Starman” (1984), a burly miner in “Total Recall” (1990), and Monty Johnson in “Sling Blade” (1996). On television, he had recurring roles as Chris Farber in “V: The Series” (1984–1985) and Pete Bilker on “Home Improvement” (1991–1999). He also appeared in series such as “The Incredible Hulk,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “M*A*S*H,” “Baywatch,” “Justified,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” In 2007, he authored his autobiography, “That Would Be Me.” Mickey Jones passed away on February 7, 2018, at the age of 76, due to complications from diabetes.
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