The cutthroat music industry is, first and foremost, a business cultivated by legends, icons, and the thriving celebrity culture. It takes a wide array of knowledge and insider information to crystalize its very foundations, and only a few exemplary individuals have managed to materialize these valuable insights. Steve Jones is one such individual, dedicating much of his life’s work to amplifying the narratives and rich history of legendary rock icons to educate audiences and aspiring artists on the ins and outs of the music industry.

The crux of Steve Jones’ brand is heavily rooted in the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has cultivated a reputation for providing an insider scoop on the biggest stars in music, shedding light on how their core strategies can be mirrored by business leaders in almost any field.

Through his breadth of knowledge and expertise, Jones published two marketing and branding books, Brand Like a Rock Star and Start You Up. Equipped with over three decades worth of experience in the music industry, he sought to write down his observations. Throughout his career in music and media in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, he has obtained knowledge that seeps into every page of his books. That knowledge is brought to life in person with his frequent keynote speaking engagements. 

Jones starts with the premise that everything you need to learn about the music business, marketing, branding, and corporate culture can be learned through the many narratives of legendary rock stars. 

“From AC/DC to Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac, Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters, Run-DMC, and many others, I explore how the legends of music provide a fantastic template for businesses in almost any industry,” shared Jones.

“Kiss became one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, and they did it by being dramatically different from every other band,” says Jones, discussing the famous make-up and pyrotechnics of the band. “Far too many businesses are trying to please everyone, afraid of what might happen if they stand out. Kiss is a great example of what can happen to those brave enough to be unique.”

Jones is also well-known for adding diversity, equity, and inclusion, to his keynote engagements,  a topic that many speakers are hesitant to explore. He firmly believes these topics are vital to the American music business.

“When it comes to DEI, I share the ways that the music industry broke down those barriers, sometimes in the most unexpected places,” says Jones. “Like the tiny studio in the deep south in the 1960s that brought together the biggest Black and White stars to simply create amazing music.”

Jones cites Paul Simon as another example. Simon traveled to Jamaica, Brazil, and South Africa to work with musicians from all backgrounds to incorporate their sounds into his music. Most famously, he recorded Graceland in South Africa in the 80s with Black musicians, a move that Jones says had a long-lasting impact on the world. “Many experts believe that Paul Simon actually helped speed up the fall of the racial apartheid system in South Africa.”

In addition to his frequent keynote speaking engagements and two books, Steve Jones is also the SVP/Brands & Content at Stingray, a global music, media, and technology company where he oversees 100 radio brands across Canada. Steve is represented for speaking engagements globally be Goodman Speaker Management at www.goodmanspeakermanagement.com. Steve can also be reached via his website at www.brandlikearockstar.com. His music-first approach to speaking can help make any ordinary conference truly rock!