Johnny "Little Sonny" Jones (April 15, 1931 – December 17, 1989) was an American New Orleans blues singer and songwriter. Over his lengthy career, he worked with various blues musicians, notably Fats Domino.
Jones was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started singing professionally in the late 1940s. He befriended Fats Domino and, while they were working together at the Hideaway Club in the Ninth Ward, was given his nickname by Domino. Domino hit it big, but Jones' vinyl fortunes weren't as lucky: a 1953 single on Specialty ("Do You Really Love Me"/"Is Everything Allright?") preceded a four-song session for Imperial the next year under Dave Bartholomew's direction (songs included "I Got Fooled" and "Winehead Baby"). All three 45s failed to find a commercial market, but Fats kept him employed as a warm-up act until 1961.
Jones was employed as the vocalist by a New Orleans–based band led by the brothers David and Melvin Lastie, until the late 1960s. He also had regular employment at a sugar factory. After seven years back home singing with the Lastie band, Jones retired until he returned to the recording studio in 1975 and issued the album New Orleans R&B Gems, initially on the Netherlands-based Black Magic label.
The set accurately re-created the Crescent City R&B sound of the '50s, thanks to Little Sonny Jones' rich singing and the efforts of veterans Dave "Fat Man" Williams on piano and vocals, saxophonists Clarence Ford and David Lastie, guitarist Justin Adams, bassist Frank Fields, and drummer Robert French. It was reissued in 1995 by Black Top Records.
Jones came out to play the annual Jazz & Heritage Festival until his death of heart failure in New Orleans on December 17, 1989 at the age of 58.
(Edited from Wikipedia, AllMusic)
