Grace Jones

Grace Jones was one of the more unforgettable artists to emerge from New York City's hedonistic Studio 54 disco scene of the late '70s. Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Jones was raised in a strict and devoutly Pentecostal household by her parents, who eventually moved to the U.S. and left Jones and her siblings in the care of their grandmother and an abusive step-grandfather. At the age of 13, the Jones children joined their parents in the States. Jones studied theater at Syracuse University before launching a career as a model, notably evident on the 1973 Philadelphia International reissue of Billy Paul's second album. Her statuesque and flamboyant look eventually proved to be a hit in Paris and subsequently New York, which led to a recording contract with Island Records. While the disco-based, Tom Moulton-produced albums Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) didn't break the singer into the mainstream, Jones scored several Billboard club hits and amassed a substantial following with her sexually charged live show, which led to her title of "Queen of the Gay Discos."