The Jones Brothers stand holding an early photo of them performing together when they began in 1962.

The Jones Brothers, a local bluegrass legendary duo from Stanfield, will celebrate their 50 years of playing bluegrass music together at the Mother’s Day weekend show in Denton, N.C, at the Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival.
The brothers began their career together in 1962, but have been playing and pickin’ instruments since their early years.
Bruce Jones the older of the brothers was born in 1930 in Union County and his younger brother, Lee followed along nine years later in 1939. “We’re just as country as you can get,” laughed Lee.
In the beginning, the majority of their shows were on top of concession stands at drive-in theaters, where the audiences would honk their horns in applause. It was after playing at a Fiddlers Convention in Denver, N.C. where they took first prize in all categories that they crossed over into professional bluegrass.
Both brothers began playing instruments at a young age. Bruce picked up the guitar when he was eight years old and has been playing for more than 60 years. When Lee was 10 years old, his older brother bought him a guitar, but his interest didn’t spark for several more years—he cared more about girls than guitars. “I later discovered I could get more girls by playing the guitar,” joked Lee.
The brother duo has played a countless amount of shows from coast to coast and played with everyone. They are considered legends in the bluegrass world and have played a vital role to the evolution of Bluegrass music.  They have played alongside Bill Monroe, Reno and Smiley, Loretta Lynn and for three years with Carl Story “the father of Bluegrass Gospel music.”
While on the road with Story, they would play double sets, the first with the Log Cabin Boys and then they performed with Story under the name Carl Story and the Rambling Mountaineers.
Through the years the brothers had to find jobs to support their families, but Bluegrass still remained a constant in their lives. In 1969, the Jones Brothers and the Log Cabin Boys were formed. Although unexpected circumstances and distance separated them at times, they still found time to get together and play.
The Jones Brothers recorded two songs in a collection of military musical memories from World War II for the Pentagon.
The brothers received a reward from Jerry Lewis for their continual assistance for several years in telethons for Muscular Dystrophy, have been awarded as members into the Carolinas County-Bluegrass-Gospel Hall of Fame, and received a “Knock ‘Em Out, John” award from Jerry Clower at the Grand Ole Opry.
At the Nashville Fan Fare festival in 1985, the Jones Brothers were introduced by Grant Turner, the MC of the Grand Ole Opry and Bill Monroe, “The father of Bluegrass.”
They’ve produced 15 albums, hosted a television program for 10 years in Charlotte called “Moving with Bluegrass,” hosted a bluegrass festival at the Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle for 17 years, and nowadays Bruce runs a morning program on a radio station in Albemarle that has been on the air for 22  years, and he goes by “BJ the DJ” on WSPC.
With the Jones Brothers, it’s not about making money and building their reputation. It is and always has been about the music. Although they have travelled everywhere and played with countless Bluegrass legends. They never forgot their roots. “Don’t forget where you come from,” commented the brothers.
On an average Friday night, Bruce can be heard playing and cracking jokes in jam sessions at Jake’s Java, a local Stanfield coffee shop, with other local musicians. “We have a big time pickin,” said Bruce.
With a lifetime of accomplishments tucked under their belts, the Jones Brothers will receive a plaque recognizing their 50 years of playing together at 3 pm on Saturday, May 12 at Denton Farmpark.