Miss Jones (radio personality)

Tarsha Nicole Jones (born October 24, 1969), better known as Miss Jones, is a former R&B artist and radio personality. She previously worked for WQHT in New York City and 1039 The Beat and WUSL in Philadelphia. Miss Jones was the first black woman to host Morning Radio on a hip hop radio format.

Miss Jones
Birth nameTarsha Jones
Born (1968-10-24) October 24, 1968
Queens, New York
GenresR&B
Years active1994–present
LabelsTommy Boy, Motown
Associated actsDoug E. Fresh, AZ, Big L

Early life

Jones graduated with honors from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, having majored in classical music. She also has a bachelor's degree in music from Syracuse University. After graduating from college, she worked several jobs until her chance meeting of Doug E. Fresh in front of Men's Walkers shoe store on 125th st where she was signed on the spot after an impromptu audition.

Career

Radio

Before becoming host of WQHT's Miss Jones in the Morning show, Jones was a Tommy Boy and Motown records recording artist. Having appeared alongside several Hip Hop icons, Jones achieved gold and multi-platinum recording success. Jones also acted in several movies such as Paper Soldiers, Corrupt, The Wrecking Crew and the RocAfella Records inspired film, Death of a Dynasty. Miss Jones was an integral part of the Star and Buc Wild morning show on Hot 97.[1]

She wrote a Best selling autobiography, Have You Met Miss Jones?: The Life and Loves of Radio's Most Controversial Diva, in 2007, published by Random House.[2]

On June 28, 2008, WQHT's contract with Jones expired, and she returned to the airwaves of Philadelphia, a city that adorned Jones with the Key to the City and several mayoral awards for her community service endeavors.

In January 2012 Jones developed and launched Jonesyradio.com, but due to the perils of Hurricane Sandy the broadcast was short lived.

Controversy

In 2005, Jones was accused of being a vocalist on Hot 97's parody of the song, "We Are the World", reworked to include distasteful lyrics relating to the Indonesian tsunami.However it would later be proven that a show runner named Tasha Hightower was mistaken for Miss (Tarsha) Jones. Former Opie and Anthony program director Rick Delgado was credited for penning the song, which would see him get fired from Hot 97, with Jones suspended while insisting that she was against the song ( unbeknownst to listeners, Jones had been physically out of the studio on maternity leave from Thanksgiving of 2004 until April of 2005 deeming it impossible for her to have been a participant on the "Tsunami Song" which was later confirmed by Emmis Communications attorneys.). Her heated verbal confrontation with a fellow radio presenter prior to the song itself (the exchange of which went out live over the air and featured Jones admonishing her co-host loudly and severely) were merely due to insubordination. The co-host, Miss Info, is herself Asian and only after public dismay,voiced her disapproval accordingly.[3]

Bibliography
  • Jones, Tarsha. Have You Met Miss Jones?: The Life and Loves of Radio's Most Controversial Diva. New York: Random House: 2007. ISBN 0-345-49748-1.

Discography

Albums
Year Title Chart positions
U.S.
R&B		 U.S.
Heat
1998 The Other Woman
  • Released: June 16, 1998
  • Label: Motown
 51 40

Singles
Year Title Peak chart positions[4] Album
U.S. U.S. R&B
1994 "Where I Wanna Be Boy" 79 21 Non-album single
"Don't Front" — —
1998 "2 Way Street" 62 27 The Other Woman
Year Title Peak chart positions[4] Album
U.S. U.S. R&B
1995 Big L - "M.V.P." ft. Miss Jones - 56 Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous
1995 AZ - "Sugar Hill" ft. Miss Jones 25 12 Doe or Die
1998 Big Pun - "Punish Me" ft. Miss Jones - 56 Capital Punishment
2000 Big L - "Holdin' it down" ft. A.G., Miss Jones & Stan Spit - - The Big Picture

References
  1. Century, Douglas (2000-06-11). "Hip-Hop Meets Its Match". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  2. Hinckley, David (2007-07-16). "Miss Jones dishes on men and the radio game". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  3. All Hiphop https://allhiphop.com/news/key-hot-97-morning-staff-fired-over-tsunami-song-pmUp6v1VlEieOX27T_1PVA/. Retrieved 2005-02-03. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. "Miss Jones > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
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