Where Is Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones Today?
What To Know
- Since Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980, John Paul Jones has remained active in music, working as a session musician, producer, composer, and collaborator with a wide range of artists and genres.
- In recent years, Jones has performed with experimental groups like Tres Coyotes and Sons of Chipotle, with his most recent documented live appearance at the Big Ears Festival in 2024.
- Jones, recognized as one of rock’s greatest bassists, has received multiple prestigious awards and continues to maintain a private personal life with his family.
John Paul Jones, best known as the bassist and keyboardist for Led Zeppelin, turns 80 on January 3, 2026. Jones has spent decades building a body of work that stretches far beyond Led Zeppelin, continuing to work steadily and creatively long after many of his peers slowed down. After Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, Jones did not step away from music. Instead, he shifted into a wide range of projects that included session work, production, soundtrack composition and collaborations across genres. Over the years, he has worked with artists ranging from R.E.M. and Heart to Seasick Steve and Diamanda Galás, often contributing bass, keyboards, mandolin, or detailed arrangements that reflected his classical training and studio background.
He continued to appear at festivals and special concerts, including collaborative performances with Seasick Steve, Rokia Traoré, and other artists. In 2017, he formed the trio Tres Coyotes with Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg and cellist Anssi Karttunen, performing in Europe over several years. In 2019, he formed a duo called Sons of Chipotle with Karttunen, a project centered on experimental and improvised music.
Danny Martindale/Getty Images
That duo was scheduled to make its U.S. debut at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2020. The appearance was canceled due to the COVID 19 outbreak, but the performance ultimately took place at Big Ears in 2024. It stands as one of Jones’s most recent documented live appearances. Jones has also remained connected to high-profile collaborations. From 2009 to 2010, he was a member of Them Crooked Vultures alongside Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, releasing one album and touring during that period.
Away from the stage, Jones has maintained a relatively private personal life. He married Maureen Hegarty in 1967, and the couple have three daughters. Jones was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 as a member of Led Zeppelin. In 2010, he received a Gold Badge Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for his outstanding contribution to British music, followed by the Outstanding Contribution Award at the Marshall Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards later that same year. Music publications have consistently ranked him among the greatest bassists of all time, reinforcing his reputation as one of rock’s most versatile and influential musicians.
Remind 
Birth of Rock 'n' Roll
February 2024
"Long live rock," we like to say, but how did it come to life? Revisit the memorable moments, music and movies that made teens go beat crazy back in the 1950s.
Buy This Issue