Longtime USA Today music critic Steve Jones dies; covered stars from Ray Charles to Jay Z

HERNDON, Va. – USA Today reports that its longtime music critic, Steve Jones, who impressed people with his mental warehouse of music history and his unflappable cool, has died. He was 57.

Jones, whose career spanned nearly 28 years at the paper, died at his Herndon, Va., home Friday morning after a long illness.

The newspaper says he introduced readers to a variety of artists and trends, shedding light on the cultural and artistic significance.

Executive editor Susan Weiss says: “Steve had it all — talent, integrity, intelligence and a huge heart.”

Jones joined the paper in 1985. He interviewed legends such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and James Brown, as well as contemporary superstars like Jay Z, Kanye West and Alicia Keys.

Jones graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1978 with a journalism degree.