Tributes are flowing for Marcie Jones, the vocalist who led the pioneering 1960s “girl group” Marcie and the Cookies, and who, as a solo artist, toured with the likes of The Seekers, The Monkees, Cliff Richard, and Tom Jones.
“It’s with great sadness to let you all know that my beautiful mother-in-law, Marcie Jones, passed away yesterday evening,” reads a message posted Sunday, June 1st from Lisa Asta. Jones died at the age of 79 following a battle with cancer.
“I feel numb inside.” Asta adds, “You made me laugh so hard and always gave me great advice. You were a legend, an icon, and you will always be remembered. You always said that we were so alike in many ways, and that’s why I know you will always be my guiding light.”
As a 15-year-old, Jones got her career underway performing with the Thunderbirds at Canterbury Ballroom and Preston Town Hall at the turn of the ‘60s. Later, she teamed up with Normie Rowe and The Playboys, and became a household name when she joined the cast of The Go!! Show in 1963.
In 1967, Jones changed the game when she formed Marcie and the Cookies with the Cook sisters Margaret, Beverley, and Wendy. The all-girl, vocal group was a standout in an era when Australia’s contemporary music scene was dominated by male-fronted rock bands and solo artists.
Marcie and the Cookies released a string of singles and performed extensively throughout Asia, the UK and Europe. The group reunited on several occasions, including a Go!! Show 50th anniversary special at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre in 2014.
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A solo career beckoned in the early 1970s, when Jones signed with Warner Music. A full-length studio album arrived in 1974, That Girl Jones. In 1987, WEA Records presented her with an award for her contribution to Australian music. Jones continued to perform and in 1999 released a country music EP, Pure Heart.
In 2021, Jones was interviewed for the Australian Music Vault’s Long Play Series, recounting the early days of rock ‘n’ roll in Melbourne’s ballrooms; her time working with Rowe, Johnny Young, and Olivia Newton-John on The Go!! Show, and the challenges of balancing work and life as an international touring artist.
“I was 19, 20. Norm was 17. Olivia was 16. So within three months we were huge names,” she told interviewer Jenny O’Meara.
When Gold Coast music industry identify Barry O’Callaghan entered palliative care, Jones stepped up to support the family by performing at a 2023 benefit concert, featuring on a bill that included Russell Morris, Brian Cadd, and Brian Mannix.
Jones is being remembered for her talent and six-decade long career, her sparkling personality, and for always giving her time to others with wise words and positivity.
“We are saddened to hear of the passing of Marcie Jones, a true pioneer of Australian music,” reads a statement from ARIA.
“As the powerhouse voice behind Marcie and the Cookies, Marcie helped pave the way for women in a male-dominated industry, breaking new ground in the 1960s and touring internationally with her signature sound.”
Marcie, the message continues, left an “undeniable” impact on Australian music history.
