Carmen Jones has been singing since she was 2 years old. She began writing music and playing the piano as early as 10 years old, with her brother accompanying her on the drums.
Growing up in Berkeley, California, with an African-American father and an Italian mother, Jones says "I listened to everyone from Aretha Franklin and Donna Summer to Stevie Wonder and The Beatles".
After receiving a standing ovation at 11 years old for her soulful performance in the role of Dorothy in the musical The Wizard of Oz, her parents encouraged her love of music and sent her to Cazadero Music Camp where she took singing and piano lessons with some of the Bay Area's best musicians.
After high school she toured the California club scene playing keyboards and singing with a local band "Sam Bostic & Circuitry". Over the next several years Jones wrote and recorded her own songs, singing all of the lead and background vocals and laying all of the music tracks.
As a lead vocalist with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, she performed in such places as the New Orleans Jazz Festival and recorded with MC Hammer and Linda Ronstadt.
As one of the female quartet Soul de Pop, she recorded an R&B/Pop album with Interscope Records; and as one of the female trio New Faces, performed at Superbowl pre-parties and with Magic Johnson and Jeffrey Osborne at Disney World. Jones has also sung the national anthem at several celebrity basketball events, performed at San Francisco nightclubs, the Oakland Arena, and at the famous New Orleans House of Blues.
During the filming of "HBO's Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Security" DVD Jones was featured singing a surprise duet with Jamie Foxx (see the performance on this website).
She has also recorded on projects with Bay Area music natives, PC Muñoz, Derrick Hall, Master P and Dwayne Wiggins.
In Spring 2010, Jones rejoined the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and performs with them regularly. For choir performance dates, click here.
The bottom line with Carmen Jones is best described in the words of comedian/actor Jamie Foxx, who says, "Y'all look for her!".