Kinston, North Carolina: Nathaniel "Nat" Leon Jones was born April 27, 1939 - Died January 24, 2014, at Vidant Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, N.C.

He was the great-grandson of Company K 37th USCT Civil War Veteran Charles Jones. Nat died on Friday, January 24, 2014, at Vidant Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, N.C., with his loving brother Edwin C. Jones at his side. "Nat" was 74.

He was the oldest child of the late Nathaniel Lee and Ruth Murrill Jones. He was valedictorian of the Adkin High School Class of 1955. He graduated cum laude from North Carolina College (NCCU) in 1960.

From 1964 to 1967, Nat was the band director for The James Brown Band. @IrememberOurHistory®
The native of Kinston, N.C. wrote more than 34 hit songs for Brown. According to Rolling Stone magazine, James Brown revamped his band under the leadership of Nat Jones. Nat's legacy continues with his son, Natdrick Lamon Jones of N.L.

Sources: Obituary-The Free Press Kinstondotcom newspaper; Legaceydotcom

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Nat Jones, born on April 27, 1939 in the Lincoln City district of Kinston, graduated from Adkin High School in 1955 as the school's valedictorian. He went to Morehouse College in Atlanta to study medicine, but soon transferred to N.C. Central to pursue music.

"He knew very early what he wanted to do," Edwin Jones said. "He excelled at N.C. Central, winning the Freshman Voxomena award in science for the most studious male freshman. He was in Who's Who of college and universities, participated in dance, choir, orchestra and band and was a member of the NAACP."

Nat Jones left college to hone his musical skills in Atlantic City, but returned to N.C. Central, graduating cum laude in 1960. He soon launched his teaching career, starting at P.S. Jones High School in Washington, then moving back to Kinston to teach at Woodington High and Adkin.

In 1964, Jones traveled to see a James Brown show in Greensboro, which changed his life.

"He provided speakers for James Brown, then auditioned for the band," Edwin Jones said. "A few weeks later, James told him where to go and he played in the band. He wrote many hits and recruited people from Kinston to play, such as Maceo and Melvin Parker. On May 1, 1966, he played the saxophone solo to James Brown's 'I Feel Good' on the Ed Sullivan Show."

Nat Jones wrote 34 songs from 1964-67 as a band director, leaving to pursue other interests before illnesses took over. After his mother passed in 1993, Edwin Jones took care of his brother, staying with him until his final breath.

Sources: Obituary-The Free Press Kinstondotcom newspaper; Legaceydotcom
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How many times have you sung 'I feel good, like I knew I would' by the great James Brown?
Did you know it was musically arranged by a Washington, NC PS Jones High School Band teacher named Nat Jones?

When James Brown And The Fabulous Flames introduced 'I Feel Good', in 1966 on Ed Sullivan's sensational variety show, Mr. Jones played that amazing saxophone solo.
However, in the first original recording of the song in 1964, Mr. Jones played the Hammond organ.

Nat Jones was the band teacher at P S Jones high school from 1961-1964. He auditioned for Brown in the spring of 1964 and became Brown's music director and music arranger from 1964-1967. He wrote 34 songs in that time with Brown and recorded songs like, 'This Is A Man's-Woman's World' part 1 and 2 in 1966 featuring singer Irma Thomas.

'Money Won't Change You' (the record pictured below) which was a hit in 1966 and, 'Do You Really want To Rescue Me?' in 1966.

Mr. Jones and James Brown also briefly had a music company named "Najam", using the first few letters in their first names to give a name to the company. Mr. Jones was one of the founding members of James Brown And The Fabulous Flames. He died in 2014 in Kinston NC.