Chris Jones

Chris Jones is a writer with a deep commitment to preserving and sharing the vibrant legacy of Southern music. As co-author of The Embers: The Bobby Tomlinson Story (McBryde Publishing, Nov. 2024), Jones joins forces with Bill Benners and Skip Crayton to chronicle the journey of The Embers, led by drummer Bobby Tomlinson, as they rose to become icons of Carolina Beach Music. Through captivating storytelling and firsthand accounts, the book celebrates over six decades of music and memories that have cemented The Embers' place in Beach Music history. After a 40-year career in public affairs, Jones returned to his journalistic roots in 2022, assisting long-time friend Greg Haynes with converting Heeey Baby Days of Beach Music into an eBook. Rediscovering his passion for storytelling, Jones penned “White Fraternities and Black Music in the 60s,” an article for Boom Magazine that explores the impact of national and regional R&B bands on Southern college campuses. This compelling piece garnered the 2024 North American Mature Publishers Association award for Feature Writing and was later reprinted in the UK, bringing Jones’ work to an international audience. Jones is also an avid music collector, focusing on rare, obscure Beach Music releases by Southern bands from the 1950s to the 1980s. A journalism graduate of the University of Georgia, he remains actively engaged with his alma mater, serving as an emeritus member of the Board of Trust after previously holding positions as president and board chairman. An alumnus of Leadership Georgia and the Public Affairs Council’s Senior Institute for Public Affairs, his writings have appeared in Boom Magazine, Beach Music Top 40 News, and Soul Up North (UK). Chris and his wife, Toni, a retired elementary school teacher, reside in Oconee County, Georgia, where they are active members of OLLI@UGA, with Jones serving as president from 2020-2021. They help tend an adored neighborhood cat.