Eddie "One String" Jones

Eddie "One String" Jones (December 10, 1926 – Unknown) Music historian David Campbell expounded on how Jones played the unitar, writing, "He played it by sliding a half-pint bottle along the wire with his left hand, while striking it near the resonating can with a little whittled stick in his right hand". It is directly related to the diddley bow, which in itself derived from West African instruments; however, Jones's practice of percussively sounding the resonator, and unorthodox sliding was far removed from known slide and bottleneck techniques.

In 1960 Jones approached record producer Frederick Usher Jr., with his unitar in hand. Usher had been investigating the skid row district, spectating the offerings of several street performers, and was immediately intrigued by Jones's otherworldly sound. Having no aspirations for fame, afterwards, the two musicians disappeared from any further documentation, never to record again.

In 1964 Usher partially released the recordings of Jones and Hazelton on the album "One String" Jones and Edward Hazelton – One String Blues, which was distributed on Takoma Records. The album questionably states that Jones accompanied himself on a homemade "zither-monochord", and opens with an interview with Jones describing his instrumental methods and notoriety in Skid Row. Captain Beefheart endorsed Jones's material in a 1995 excerpt of Mojo magazine's featured topic called "The Greatest Thing I've Ever Heard All Year". As a result, Jones's music and the mystery of his life are examined by blues enthusiasts. In 2002, One String Blues was re-released on Big Beat Records.