
Dr. Bobby Jones has been with BET
since the company started in 1980.
He dominates Sunday programming as
the host and executive producer of
Bobby Jones Gospel, and producer of
Video Gospel. Bobby Jones Gospel,
for which he is best known, has been
seen on BET since November 1980 and
is one of the network's most popular
shows. Every Sunday, Jones along
with the New Life Singing
Aggregation performs contemporary
gospel music and welcomes an array
of gospel artists such as Kirk
Franklin, John P. Kee, Yolanda
Adams, The Canton Spirituals,
Hezekiah Walker and more.
Jones has revolutionized the gospel
music industry. Bobby Jones Gospel
is the first and only nationally
syndicated black gospel television
show and Video Gospel, which debuted
in 1989, is the only national
television outlet gospel artists
have to show their videos. Born in
Henry County, Tenn., Jones always
dreamt of a career in music. He
excelled academically throughout
school, graduating from high school
at 15 and Tennessee State University
at 19 with a bachelor's degree in
elementary education. Jones
continued his education by pursuing
a master's degree at Tennessee State
and a doctorate from Vanderbilt.
While pursuing his master's, Jones
taught elementary school in the
Missouri and Tennessee education
systems.
In his teaching days, Jones helped
develop the idea for a Black Expo in
Nashville, Tenn. (Black Expo is a
fair held in cities across the
country which focuses on the
contributions African Americans have
made to their communities.) During
the effort, Jones introduced the
pilot for what is now Bobby Jones
Gospel to WSMV-TV in Nashville.
WSMV-TV picked up the show that
Jones created, produced and hosted.
It ran in Nashville from 1976 until
it was picked up be BET for national
syndication in 1980.
During this period, Jones also
created, produced and hosted Bobby
Jones World, a magazine-style show
that incorporated gospel music with
world-renowned authors, entertainers
and national leaders. Bobby Jones
World ran from 1978-1984. Jones has
extended his talents into the
television and movie arena. In 1982,
Jones made his television movie
debut in NBC's Sisters, Sisters
starring Diahann Carroll, Paul
Winfield and Irene Cara. In 1980 he
wrote and performed in Make A Joyful
Noise, a black gospel opera which
aired on PBS; and in 1983, he was a
guest on country music star Ronnie
Milsap's television special, In
Celebration.
In 1980, Jones received The Gabriel
Award and an International Film
Festival Award for writing and
performing Make A Joyful Noise. He
and his group, New Life, were
nominated for a Grammy Award in 1982
for "Best Performance by a Black
Contemporary Gospel Group" for the
album Soul Set Free. In 1984, he
received the Gospel Music
Association's (GMA) Dove Award for
Black Contemporary Album of the
Year, a Grammy Award for "Best Vocal
Duo for a Soul/Gospel Performance"
for the single, I'm So Glad I'm
Standing Here Today performed with
country music star Barbara Mandrell,
and an NAACP Image Award. In 1990 he
received the GMA's Commonwealth
Award for Outstanding Contribution
to Gospel Music. In 1994, Jones was
nominated for the CableACE Award. He
resides in Nashville, Tenn.