The creative force behind platinum-selling hard rock combo
Foreigner, guitarist/composer Mick Jones was born on December 27, 1944 in London. He first earned notice during the early '60s as a member of
Nero and
the Gladiators, best remembered for their hits "Hall of the Mountain King" and "Entry of the Gladiators." Spending much of the decade to come as a songwriter and session player, in 1970 he joined ex-
Spooky Tooth singer
Gary Wright in
Wonderwheel. Three years later, the twosome reformed
Spooky Tooth before
Jones relocated to New York City to work in A&R. After a stint with the Leslie West Band, he formed
Foreigner in 1976 with multi-instrumentalist
Ian McDonald, tapping ex-
Black Sheep frontman
Lou Gramm to assume vocal duties;
Jones and
Gramm also began collaborating on songs, co-authoring the smash "Cold as Ice" from the band's best-selling 1977 eponymous debut LP.
Foreigner proved inescapable in the years to follow, reeling off an impressive series of pop radio hits including "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," "Urgent," "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and the chart-topping power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is." While on hiatus from the group in 1986,
Jones produced
Van Halen's blockbuster
5150, three years later helming
Billy Joel's
Storm Front;
Joel returned the favor, producing
Jones' own 1989 self-titled solo debut. Despite losing
Gramm to a solo career,
Foreigner returned in 1991 with Unusual Heat;
Gramm returned to the fold for 1993's Mr. Moonlight. ~ Jason Ankeny