Glenn Jones to Top Bill at To Mom With Love Concert in Kingston

American R&B vocalist Glenn Jones will lead the lineup for the To Mom With Love concert on Mother's Day, May 10, at the AC Hotel in Kingston.

Jones grew up chasing a singing career in Jacksonville, Florida, during the 1970s, drawing inspiration from soul greats Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Bobby Womack. By the following decade, he was climbing the charts with the ballads Show Me and We've Only Just Begun.

Speaking recently with the Jamaica Observer, the singer reflected on building a name during a period dominated by Michael Jackson and the Miami Vice era. "Breaking through in the 80s was amazing. I think the music was so much more… melodic! More challenging from a writing standpoint," he said.

Show Me and We've Only Just Begun marked his crossover from the Jacksonville gospel circuit into secular music, and paved the way for Here I Go Again, which topped the Billboard R&B chart in late 1991. His catalogue has been carried over the years by major labels including RCA, Jive and Atlantic Records.

Jones credits his late mother, Ella Lee Jones, as his strongest backer. "My mother was the reason I was able to pursue my career. She pushed me, encouraged me all throughout my life. She taught me how to love people," he said. "I was born the youngest of nine and now there are only two of us left. My mother and father passed away years ago, but they are still in my spirit."

Also billed for the To Mom With Love event are Marcia Griffiths, Third World and Nesta. The concert will run in two sittings, at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, with Grub Cooper and the Super Band providing backing for the performers.