Greg Hale Jones (1955-2004) was a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and of California Institute of the Arts where he earned a Master’s degree in music composition, orchestration, and arranging.

In his early work, Jones used orchestral instruments, piano, and electronic instruments. Using the latter, he produced an album called No Imagination.

Jones began writing for television in 1982. He wrote the music for the original MTV logos and the MTV Top Twenty Countdown, all part of the ground-breaking launch of Viacom’s cable giant Music Television. The animated logos have also appeared in documentaries about the era and in feature films such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

MTV’s success put Jones’ style in demand for broadcast commercials, documentaries, animation, and films. The Walt Disney Company hired
Jones to set the tone for The Disney Channel, where he scored show themes and graphics for eight years.

During this period, Jones won two national Emmy Awards and several New York Art Directors’ Club Award for the MTV and Disney work. He won a Clio Award for his work with Henry Selick (dir. The Nightmare Before Christmas)
for MTV.

Jones moved on to feature films in 1999, scoring and providing four songs for The General’s Daughter, a Paramount Pictures release starring John Travolta. The following year, he contributed a full score for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. In 2004, Jones completed a full score for my tiny universe, a Pavement Pictures release starring John Heard and Debi Mazar.

Greg's song, With Father in the Woods, from the Crossing the Willamette CD was used in a commercial for Captain Morgan Rum in 2013.

Greg passed on in July of 2004. After his passing, he was given the Buddhist name of Shaku Ho-on (Sounds of Dharma).

Greg lives on through his musical legacy.

Awards include: two Emmy Awards, a Clio Award, New York Art Directors Club Award

Feature films include: The General’s Daughter, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, my tiny universe

Short films include: Leaving the 20th Century (directed by Max Almy)

Television projects include: MTV, Showtime Boxing Main Theme, CBS’ Betty Boop’s Hollywood Adventure, The Disney Channel, HBO

Documentaries include: National Geographic projects and Spirits of the Blue from International Video/Disney