Ellington

Jay Sones, 28, sits across the small table at Fenian's talking on his cell phone (the kind you can send pictures through) with his baby sister, Meg. He tells her that I'm interviewing him and responds when she asks why, "I guess people just can't get enough of me," and gives his characteristic chuckle. He's wearing a three-quarter sleeved gray-and-scarlet baseball shirt with jeans. Dark spiky hair covers his head and frames his greco-roman facial features.

A native Jacksonian who has lived in more cities than I've visited, Jay is a constant joy to be around. "I'm a fairly open book," he says. I submit that his book is cloaked in a thick sarcastic veneer. He's not easy to nail down on issues or philosophies, wanting to keep his options open, I guess. I asked him if there was something very few people knew about him, since I've known him for about eight years. He says, "I enjoy teasing animals," again with the chuckle. "No, I really think I'm pretty open," he says.

His mother, Donna Sones, is an original Sweet Potato Queen. Jay can't remember life before the Queens. From his mother's friendships with these women, he's found himself a character in books and a soon-to-be-released sitcom on WB. "I can't say it's anything other than fun without getting in trouble," he says, making his blue/gray eyes shine. Although he has a degree in mechanical sculpture and video art from Reed College in Portland, Ore., Jay makes his living as a freelance Web designer. His thesis adviser offered him a grant after graduation to build the college's Web page (something he had never done before), and he's never looked back.

Jay's childhood dream was to be a photographer for National Geographic, and he still enjoys shooting pictures, mostly social now. He designed the SPQ Web site and answers thousands of e-mails a year because of it. A huge fan of music—he once drove to North Carolina for a bluegrass festival—he loves "to bang around on my guitar although it's unfortunate anyone has to hear it." He says he's been playing for 15 years, but it sounds more like three.

As co-host of the weekly trivia hoo-haa held at Hal & Mal's called Pub Quiz, Jay's excited about its upcoming birthday. July 15 will be the anniversary of the local cult favorite that started in co-host Shannon Thornton's hometown, Memphis, at a bar called Kudzu's. Jay promises a big pot and much fun, even for the losers, he adds.

Previous Comments

ID

82313

Comment

I'm just really excited because Bingo really picked up on Jay's essential Greco-Romanness. Greco-Romaniness. Greco-Romanee. Something.

Author

David McCarty

Date

2003-07-11T17:06:26-06:00

ID

82314

Comment

How else can you say skinny white guy?

Author

bingo

Date

2003-07-11T19:23:38-06:00

ID

82315

Comment

How else can you say skinny white guy?

Author

bingo

Date

2003-07-11T19:23:39-06:00

ID

82316

Comment

the lead-in sounds like the beginning of a porn story...i can't wait to read what's next!

Author

king james

Date

2003-07-12T03:13:22-06:00

ID

82317

Comment

Tee, hee: Bingo the Porn Writer. ;-)

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-12T09:59:21-06:00

ID

82318

Comment

Jay aka Cupcake aka Sir Jay, on the Sweet Potato Queen Message board is our savior....there are many a young larve (that's what we call wimmens under 40), who would love to get up closed and personal with him...hehehehehe....

Author

Suz

Date

2003-07-12T12:20:33-06:00

ID

82319

Comment

Jay is awsome and we are so proud of him!!! He is the greatest guy in the world to us Queens!

Author

Happy mama

Date

2003-07-12T12:33:04-06:00

ID

82320

Comment

Uh oh, Jackson, the Queens have found us! Welcome, girlfriends.

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-12T12:43:28-06:00

ID

82321

Comment

The Queens know everythang Hunny...can't do sumthang without us knowing bout it....we has found out stuff you wouldn't ever believe... Smooches!

Author

Suz

Date

2003-07-12T13:33:15-06:00

ID

82322

Comment

Hey bingo - great story!! I bet you didn't know this little known fact, however: When you double post on the SPQ Message Board of Love, you have to buy all the Queens a margarita :-)

Author

Tammy esquala

Date

2003-07-12T18:30:57-06:00

ID

82323

Comment

Does it count that Bingo has SERVED all the Queens quite a few margaritas? ;-D

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-12T18:34:10-06:00

ID

82324

Comment

Margarita? Youse gal's can't drink all the maggies I can throw attcha!

Author

bingo

Date

2003-07-12T19:38:48-06:00

ID

82325

Comment

Once again, Bingo has written a lovely article without having to dig for the darkness and skeletons of a person to make it interesting. I think it's great that she didn't feel the need to mention Jay's bizarre pudding fetish, or the fact that he practically black mailed me into letting him co-host Pub Quiz with that tacky little photo he took while I was, shall we say, "tipsy". No, there was no need to bring up that ugly incident in Mexico with the bottle of Tequilla and the donkey, or the time he "accidently" set an SPQ Wannabee's hair on fire and somehow managed to snap a photo of it. It just wasn't necessary, because Bingo is one helluva writer, and Jay is one helluva guy.

Author

Shannon

Date

2003-07-12T23:05:07-06:00

ID

82326

Comment

maybe we should have a whole new website to extol all the virtues of our lil Jay. www.jaysnotqueer.com?

Author

bingo

Date

2003-07-13T18:48:58-06:00

ID

82327

Comment

Nice article, Bingo. Looking forward to tomorrow's Pub Quiz!

Author

Ex Libris

Date

2003-07-14T14:51:57-06:00

ID

82328

Comment

Ex Libris, have I beaten you at Pub Quiz? Will I beat you tonight?

Author

bingo

Date

2003-07-15T15:40:44-06:00

ID

82329

Comment

Bingo-- I don't remember what our head-to-head record is, but I do know we've beaten each other before. As far as tonight's Pub Quiz is concerned, that depends on the questions.

Author

Ex Libris

Date

2003-07-15T15:58:58-06:00

ID

82330

Comment

Yes, we're playing tonight, too. But the metal round ALWAYS brings us down. We're trying to bring in a ringer to account for Shannon's musical tastes. ;-P

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-15T16:13:17-06:00

ID

82331

Comment

Just remember-- when in doubt, answer Michael Bolton. :^)

Author

Ex Libris

Date

2003-07-15T16:29:29-06:00

ID

82332

Comment

Thanks for the great article! It's always nice to learn more about our Jay. I'm just glad I was not the one who's hair was set on fire. That could have brought Hal and Mal completely to the ground.

Author

NuClia Waste

Date

2003-07-16T13:29:10-06:00

ID

82333

Comment

Great article. We love our Jay!!! He is one in a million!

Author

Queen Bunny Fufu

Date

2003-07-16T13:36:35-06:00

ID

82334

Comment

Nuclia! Welcome to the Free Press site. You don't really know me -- I'm just one of the wannabes wearing a SPQ hand-me-down every parade -- but I always admire you and those stilts and those unbelievable get-ups from down on the ground. And your Web site is great. ;-D

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-16T13:45:13-06:00

ID

82335

Comment

Dark Spiky hair...greco roman features... shining blue-grey eyes......pant, pant, B-I-N-G-O......you've put Jay on the most wanted list.

Author

Ktay

Date

2003-07-16T17:45:07-06:00