After working as a freelance drummer with various acts, Jones was introduced to Trini Lopez. When Lopez's drummer became ill, he was asked to take his place and eventually became the band's new permanent drummer. In 1959, Jones left Lopez's band to pursue a degree in
business administration at North Texas State College (now
University of North Texas). After college, he took a job at Rohr Aircraft in San Diego. Seeing that the life of a factory worker was not for him, Jones moved to Los Angeles to get back into the entertainment industry. He landed a job as a page at the
NBC studios, while re-establishing his friendship with Lopez, who had moved to Los Angeles as well. Jones would again become Lopez's drummer, while Lopez would see much success with hits such as "
If I Had a Hammer", "La Bamba" and "America". In 1966, Jones was made an offer by
Bob Dylan to join him as his back-up drummer. Replacing
Levon Helm, who had quit, Jones would accompany Dylan with the other members of what would become
The Band, on his world tour of Australia and Europe. It was during this tour while performing at the
Free Trade Hall in
Manchester, England, on May 17, 1966, that the audience jeered Dylan for playing the electric guitar during the latter half of the show. Jones' career with Dylan would be cut short when Dylan had to temporarily stop performing in order to recover from a motorcycle accident. At this time, Jones had decided to pursue a career in acting. He had landed jobs as an
extra, when in 1967 he was approached to be the drummer for a new group called The First Edition, with lead singer
Kenny Rogers. With hits such as "Something's Burning", "
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" and "
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", The First Edition would see much success over the next ten years, even having their own television variety show, ''
Rollin' on the River (later shortened to Rollin''), in the early 1970s. ==Acting career==