Derek Jones (June 5, 1984 – April 21, 2020) was an American guitarist, best known as the rhythm / lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the post-hardcore band Falling in Reverse. He was also previously the guitarist of the band A Smile from the Trenches until he left in 2010.
Derek Jones was born in Lake Forest, California. He first started playing the saxophone but switched to the guitar. As a teenager he formed and played in several bands and he had his first tour at 19 years old.
In 2007, Derek Jones joined the band A Smile from the Trenches and they released their self-titled EP on June 29, 2007.
In 2008 Derek Jones was part of the original line-up of Falling in Reverse while still part of A Smile From The Trenches. The band only recorded demos as lead singer Ronnie Radke was in prison until December 2010, after being involved in an altercation in Las Vegas that resulted in a fatal shooting. Although Radke did not do the shooting, he was indicted on battery charges.
A Smile from the Trenches released their first studio album, “Leave the Gambling for Vegas”, on which they covered the song “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, on October 13, 2009. In May 2010, Derek Jones left the band and A Smile from the Trenches eventually split up in September 2010.
Derek Jones then moved to Las Vegas where Falling In Reverse were based, but the band had to wait for Ronnie Radke to leave prison in December 2010. On July 26, 2011, Falling In Reverse released their first album, “The Drug in Me Is You”, which reached No. 19 on the Billboard 200, selling 18,000 copies in the first week. Their second studio album, “Fashionably Late”, which was released on June 18, 2013, reached No. 17. The band released their third album “Just Like You” on February 24, 2015 and their latest album, “Coming Home”, was released on April 7, 2017.
In 2015, Derek Jones got engaged to Christina Cetta, who sadly died from cancer on November 19, 2019, leading to the cancellation of Falling in Reverse’s fall tour.
Derek Jones died on April 21, 2020, aged 35, his cause of death was revealed later in Ronnie Radke‘s book I Can Explain as subdural hematoma.
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