Etta Jones grew up in New York and at 16 toured with Buddy Johnson. She recorded with Barney Bigard’s pickup band in 1944 singing four Leonard Feather songs, three of which were hits for Dinah Washington. She also recorded for RCA during 1946-47 and worked with Earl Hines from 1949-52. Early in her career she worked with jazz musicians but made her name in R&B. A recording contract with Prestige in the early 60s, garnered the hit "Don’t Go To Strangers" and raised her profile and she continued to work in good company, in 1970 Jones toured Japan with Art Blakey. From the mid-70s, she

was often teamed with tenor saxophonist Houston Person.