Donell Jones in SA for One Night Only

Donell Jones

Donell Jones

Published Jun 10, 2015

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Boyz II Men have just released another album. Jodeci too. Now the word is that Donell Jones is coming to South Africa for the Women’s Month gig. The Knocks Me Off My Feet singer will be heading to Joburg for a One Night Only show at Sandton’s Convention Centre on July 31.

The singer is an elite member of the new jack swing sound of the ’90s which was a popular sub-genre of R&B . His first album, My Heart, is considered by many to be his best as it the had the best rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Knocks Me Off My Feet and the infectious In The Hood (Playas Version).

He was like a milder R Kelly, stepping up the game from where daring acts like Jodeci had gone.

While My Heart was a hit album, the follow-up album, Where I Wanna Be, certified his place as one of the best of his generation.

This is the album that gave him hits like Where I Wanna Be, This Luv and Have You Seen Her?

Then there was U Know What’s Up which he did later on with the late Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopez. The track was so successful it reached No 2 in the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Charts.

Granted, Jones has released several albums since then, but they haven’t been nearly as successful as the early ones. To be fair, very few guys from back then are still making big numbers today.

The entire league of Brian McKnight, Tyrese, Tank, Genuwine and even R Kelly himself are all struggling when it comes to selling their old-school sound in 2015. Those who try to adapt suffer even more because their older die-hard fans can’t relate, while the younger ones wonder why these “old men” are trying to sound like Chris Brown.

• Tickets, priced from R450, to the One Night Only intimate session will be on sale at www.bassbuds.co.za, Webtickets and Pick n Pay outlets nationwide from July 9.

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