Who was Wizz Jones? English folk guitarist passes away at 86

Acoustic guitarist Wizz Jones is no more. As per the news shared by his son, Simeon Jones, on social media, he died at 86 on April 27, 2025. The musician celebrated his 86th birthday two days before his death. Simeon, in the Facebook post, wrote:

“His loss has left a huge hole in the lives of our family and has robbed the music world of one of its precious treasures. His health declined rapidly this year and we thank Trinity Hospice for making his last few days as comfortable as possible.”

Simeon shared that at the end of his final performance on February 28, 2025, Wizz Jones expressed gratitude to his fans worldwide who listened to his music and supported him by attending his shows over the years. He ended the concert with a heartfelt thank you to everyone.

According to his website, Wizz Jones, born Raymond Ronald Jones on April 25, 1939, grew up in a working-class family. He struggled in school due to health issues and left at 16 with few qualifications.

Inspired by folk and blues music, he taught himself guitar while working various jobs in London. After briefly joining the RAF in 1958, he was discharged for medical reasons. In 1959, he travelled through Cornwall, Europe, and Morocco, often busking and performing.

He married Sandy Wedlake in 1963 and continued making a living as a folk guitarist for decades. He retired in 2025 due to declining health.

The time when Wizz Jones lost his guitar

In an interview with Orpington Folk Club, Wizz Jones spoke about his Epiphone Texan guitar he had had with him since 1967. He shared that he almost lost his guitar while travelling from Scotland to Milan, where he was meant to catch another flight to Germany.

The flight got cancelled, and his luggage went missing for ten days. During that time, he borrowed a guitar from a shop and was reminded how much he appreciated his own.

When it came to teaching, he mentioned that some students found him through ads without knowing who he was, while others were longtime fans familiar with his music who just wanted to pick up a few of his techniques. Many of them were satisfied with his lessons. Speaking about his work, Wizz Jones said:

“I don’t have an agent, so any work I get I promote myself or chase up myself; I’ve had a lot of work this year, but next year, nothing much yet, just the odd sprinkle! I did the guitar week at a nice summer school in Scotland with Eddie Walker and Steve Tilston.”

Wizz Jones explained that during the 1960s and 70s, the only way for a UK musician like him to perform in the US was to fund the trip personally, which he couldn't afford at the time. His first trip eventually happened due to SceneScoff Records.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find so many people already familiar with his music, some even bringing rare copies of his debut album for him to sign. His second visit was for a documentary about Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, arranged by Elliott’s daughter.

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