Biography
Who is Grace Jones?
Early life and real name
Grace Jones Beverly Jones was born on May 19, 1948, in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Her parents were Marjorie and Robert W. Jones. Her father worked as a local politician and Apostolic clergyman before moving his family to the United States. During her childhood in Jamaica, Grace was raised within the Pentecostal faith and attended the Pentecostal All Saints School. She was known to be shy during her early school years, though she excelled at sports and enjoyed the natural surroundings of her home country.
When she was thirteen years old, Grace moved to join her parents in Lyncourt, Salina, New York, near Syracuse. Her father established the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in the city. After completing her secondary education, Grace enrolled at Onondaga Community College with a major in Spanish. During her college years, she began to distance herself from her parents and their strict religious background, choosing instead to look at theater classes and local artistic pursuits.
Modeling career
Grace began her professional modeling career in New York after signing with Wilhelmina Models. In 1970, she relocated to Paris, where the fashion community embraced her unique, androgynous, and bold appearance. Prominent fashion designers such as Yves St. Laurent, Claude Montana, and Kenzo Takada hired her for runway shows. Her striking look also appeared on the covers of major publications like Elle, Vogue Hommes, and Stern.
Throughout her time in the fashion industry, Grace worked alongside well-known photographers including Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer. She also modeled for Azzedine Alaia while building a strong presence in European fashion circles. Her distinct visual presentation helped establish her as one of the most prominent Black models of the 1970s.
Music career and albums
In 1977, Grace launched her music career by securing a recording contract with Island Records. Working with producer Tom Moulton in Philadelphia, she released her debut album Portfolio, which featured a disco reinterpretation of Edith Piaf's La Vie en rose and her first club hit, I Need a Man. She followed this with the albums Fame and Muse, earning the media title Queen of the Gay Discos due to her flamboyant and theatrical live performances.
By 1980, she transitioned into new wave music with the release of Warm Leatherette, collaborating closely with the Compass Point All Stars. She achieved chart success with singles such as Private Life, Pull Up to the Bumper, Love Is the Drug, and Slave to the Rhythm. Later in her career, she received Grammy nominations for her work, including a featured spot on Beyonce's Renaissance in 2022.
Acting roles
Transitioning to the film industry, Grace appeared in independent productions before landing her first major mainstream role. She portrayed Zula in the 1984 fantasy action film Conan the Destroyer. The following year, she starred as the villainous henchwoman May Day in the James Bond movie A View to a Kill. In 1986, she played a vampire in the horror comedy film Vamp.
Her distinctive performances in these major motion pictures earned her three consecutive nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Later in her acting career, she appeared in the Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang in 1992, while also contributing music to the official film soundtrack.
Birthday and age
Grace Jones was born on May 19, 1948, which makes Grace 78 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Grace shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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