During one of his shifts, his manager overheard him singing and he was impressed. He stopped hanging with the wrong crowd and at the age of 16, he got a job at McDonald’s. Thankfully, the cops realized the culprit was a guy who looked similar to Donell. He thought for sure he would spend the rest of his life locked up for something he didn’t even do. He already had one brother who was locked up for taking someone’s life, and Donell could see his own life going down the same wrong path. When Donell was booked for the charge, the officer falsely accused him of robbery. One day, he got locked up after an officer found substances in his pocket. He told Souleo website he joined a Chicago gang and sold just enough substances to buy a few pairs of sneakers. He and Kishina Hunter began dating and their rocky relationship would become a source of inspiration for one of his most iconic songs. He told Parlé Magazine that he joined the choir in high school and began singing to girls in the cafeteria because he loved the attention he received.Īs a teenager, there was one girl who really caught his eye. As he got older, music was still his passion, but it served a different purpose.

His mom bought him a keyboard and Donell taught himself how to play the instrument. He told the HuffPost that they struggled a bit, but love held them together.

His parents got divorced, and although his dad was still around, Donell and his siblings were raised by his mom. It was the start of what would later become his passion for creating timeless music. When he turned 12, he wrote his first song, entitled “Love Can’t Win.” Two years later, he received an electric guitar for Christmas. According to Okay Player website, Donell began singing at the age of eight. From the start of his life, he was surrounded by musicians, including his dad who was a gospel singer. Donell Jones ‘struggled’ during his early yearsĭonell Jones was born on May 22, 1973, in the Southside of Chicago.

Here’s what really happened to Donell Jones. But the Chicago native’s personal struggles led him down a path that sidetracked his career. The father of six went from hustling on the streets to going on tour with Alicia Keys and writing songs for R&B girl group 702. Donell Jones released numerous chart-topping hits before his life did a complete 180.

Donell jones songs