Biography.guide
Home › People › Songwriter › Buddy Jones
Portrait of Buddy Jones

Buddy Jones

1902 – 1956

American singer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Buddy Jones

Lived 1902 – 1956 (aged 53). Buddy Jones was an American songwriter.

Buddy Jones (born Oscar Bergen Riley, December 25, 1902 - October 20, 1956) was an American Western swing musician who recorded in the 1930s and 1940s.

Life He was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and after his father's death moved to Port Arthur, Texas as a child. He began performing in travelling shows with his brother Buster, before settling in Shreveport in the early 1930s. There he began performing on radio station KRMD, and met singer Jimmie Davis. Jones first recorded with Davis in 1931, and continued to perform as a member of Davis' backing band.

His 1939 recording "Rockin' Rollin' Mama" is notable for the lines "Waves on the ocean, waves in the sea/ But that gal of mine rolls just right for me/ Rockin' rollin' mama, I love the way you rock and roll".

He joined the Shreveport Police Department Traffic Squad in the mid-1930s, and in the early 1940s married and ended his recording career. He died in Shreveport when he had a heart attack while driving and his vehicle crashed.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality

People in Buddy Jones's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Buddy Jones's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Buddy Jones?

American singer

When was Buddy Jones born?

Buddy Jones was born on 25 December 1902.

When did Buddy Jones die?

Buddy Jones died on 20 October 1956.

What was Buddy Jones's occupation?

Buddy Jones was a songwriter.

What nationality was Buddy Jones?

Buddy Jones was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Buddy Jones

· Wikidata: Q4984894

· DBpedia: Buddy Jones (Western swing musician)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Buddy Jones. https://biography.guide/buddy-jones/

MLA: "Buddy Jones." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/buddy-jones/.

Chicago: "Buddy Jones." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/buddy-jones/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:12 UTC