Stereophonics

Stereophonics Artistfacts

  • 1996-
    Kelly JonesGuitar, vocals
    Richard JonesBass
    Stuart CableDrums1996-2003
    Javier WeylerDrums2003-2012
    James MorrisonDrums2010-
    Adam ZindaniGuitar2007-
  • Stereophonics started with Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and Stuart Cable, having all grown up together in the Welsh village of Cwymaman. Cable was sacked in 2003 for commitment issues and was replaced in late 2004 with Argentinean Drummer Javier Weyler, who the band met in South America on a tour there.
  • Richard Jones couldn't originally play Bass on joining the band, and Kelly Jones has since stated the main reason for bringing him into the band was because he is "Ice Cold" - cool. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Joe - Bolton, for above 2
  • The band started music life as "Tragic Love Company." The name "Stereophonics" was taken from the make of Stuart's grandmother's gramophone.
  • They were the first band to sign with Richard Branson's newly formed V2 record label in 1996. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Hywel - Holyhead, Wales, for above 2
  • Stuart Cable's mother Mable Cable (It's true, that's her name) was the regular crowd member in British comedy show V Graham Norton known as Betty. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Steven Fanner - London, England
  • Kelly's father, Arwyn Jones, was a singer, whose backing band, Oscar and the Kingfishers, earned him the nickname 'Oscar' among friends and family. He signed a record deal with Polydor, adopting the moniker of 'Arwyn Davidson' due to the sheer number of Joneses in the music business at the time. Arwyn had minimal mainstream success and only released one single: a cover of the Graham Nash song "Simple Man."
  • After Kelly Jones left college he began a course for the unemployed in scriptwriting. At the end of the course he pitched his idea to the head of BBC Wales. "He offered me to write an 11-page treatment, paid, and then weirdly Richard Branson offered me a record deal," Jones recalled to The Independent. "So it was a good month but it was like, which way are you going to go?" Jones, of course, took the record deal.

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