Richard Jones

Richard Jones was born on 23 May 1974 in Aberdare and grew up in the old mining village of Cwmaman, in the Cynon Valley of South Wales — the same small community that produced his Stereophonics bandmate Kelly Jones (no relation). Richard is a founding member of the band, playing bass, piano and backing vocals since it formed in the early 1990s.

Stereophonics grew from local gigs in Cwmaman into one of Wales' most successful rock exports, with albums including Performance and Cocktails, Just Enough Education to Perform and Language. Sex. Violence. Other? all reaching the top of the UK charts. Jones has remained a constant presence in the band's line-up through more than two decades of touring and recording, contributing bass, piano and backing vocals to hits such as "Mr Writer", "Dakota" and "Handbags and Gladrags".

Away from the band, Jones is known as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and has spoken about his lifelong affinity for the bass guitar in music press interviews. He married pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor in 2005.