Koko Jones is a woman whose rhythm moves far beyond the boundaries of music. An acclaimed American percussionist, bandleader, and activist, she has played alongside some of the greatest names in the industry, including Whitney Houston, The Isley Brothers, Winard Harper, and Reggie Workman. Yet her artistry reaches deeper than performance. As a trans woman of color, writer, educator, Buddhist, and mother, Koko has built her life around truth, resilience, and creative expression. Her most recent album, Who’s That Lady, captures this spirit beautifully, weaving together themes of self-discovery, social justice, and spirituality while honoring the legacies of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. Named by The Huffington Post among the “10 Trans Names You Should Know,” Koko continues to inspire both on and off the stage with her honesty and courage.
Koko’s story is one of perseverance, reinvention, and boundless creativity. Starting her professional career at just thirteen, she quickly found herself performing alongside legendary soul and jazz musicians, touring nationally, and discovering the joy of turning her passion into a lifelong calling. Her journey, however, has not been without struggle. She has faced the challenges of transitioning while navigating the music industry, the heartbreak of difficult personal choices, and the realities of being a transgender woman of color in America. Through it all, Koko has remained guided by compassion, faith, and a belief in the transformative power of music. Whether behind the drums, leading her band, or mentoring young artists, she continues to use her art and voice to uplift others, reminding the world that authenticity and love are the truest measures of success.
Monika: Today it is my great pleasure and honor to interview Koko Jones, an American activist and prominent voice in the trans community, a jazz percussionist and bandleader who has performed with such artists as Whitney Houston, The Isley Brothers, Winard Harper, and Reggie Workman. She is also the creator of her latest album Who’s That Lady. Hello, Koko!
Koko: Hi, Monika!
Monika: How would you introduce yourself to someone who has never met you?
Koko: Well, I would say that I’m a musician, writer, composer, producer, educator, Buddhist, parent, and a trans woman of color.
Monika: Recently, The Huffington Post included you in its list of “10 Trans Names You Should Know” for 2015. How did you feel when you heard the news?
Koko: Of course, I’m delighted! However, there are so many outstanding trans folks who are making a difference out there but were not on that list. That list could easily be in the hundreds or thousands. All of us who have transitioned or are going through our transition are amazingly resilient. I find that every trans person I have met is incredibly creative, intelligent, and wise beyond their years.
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| Koko leading her band. Photo by Peter Salo. |
Monika: You have enjoyed a truly remarkable music career filled with unforgettable experiences. How did it all begin for you?
Koko: My musical career is long, and I have had a lot of amazing experiences because of it. I started playing professionally at the age of 13. I was with a band of young musicians who were all around my age. We backed a boy band called “Spoonbread,” who had a hit record on the soul charts back in 1972. We toured a little bit, and from that moment on I realized that I could do something I loved and get paid for it. We opened shows for many greats in the soul industry at that time, including The Four Tops, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, The Isley Brothers, War, and many others.
Monika: What were some of the highlights of your career as your talent and reputation continued to grow?
Koko: As an older teenager, I started touring with jazz great Archie Shepp, and later on, in the same year, I began my tenure with The Isley Brothers, a relationship that lasted for 12 years. Of course, playing with Whitney Houston brought a lot of fame and other opportunities as well. I was able to meet and sometimes perform with icons in the music and entertainment industry such as Jermaine Jackson and BeBe and CeCe Winans, among others.
Monika: You had the privilege of performing with the legendary Whitney Houston. What kind of person was she, both on and off the stage?
Koko: Whitney was such a kind soul. She was full of love and compassion. She was graceful, well-spoken, and a very hard worker. She was amazingly talented. I was in awe of her talent from the first show on. There were nights when I would be on stage playing with her and I used to get goosebumps during the show. It was an experience I will never forget.
Monika: That sounds deeply moving. How did Whitney support you personally during the time you were going through your transition?
Koko: During the time I was playing with her, I started going through my transition. I was able to confide and open up to her. She was extremely supportive emotionally. I remember her taking me out on the terrace of her hotel room one night after a show and consoling me, letting me cry on her shoulder, literally. That should tell you everything you need to know about what kind of person she was.
Monika: Your new album Who’s That Lady feels very personal and seems to draw from your experiences as a transgender woman, your admiration for activists Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, and your practice of Buddhism. How do these elements influence your music?
Koko: Yes, it is. While I make references to my gender identity, I don’t overtly talk about being trans. I feel that music is for all people. I look for ways to be inclusive of all people in my lyrics. I thought about how others could connect to my story in its entirety. It’s about living in your truth no matter what that truth is. My hope is that this music will inspire one to be unapologetic about who they are and nurture their own sense of autonomy.
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| Promo. Photo by Rebecca Meek. |
Monika: Can you tell me more about the messages behind some of the songs on the album?
Koko: There is a song dedicated to the memory of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson called “Turn It,” encouraging people to stand up against injustice. The song “The Treasure Tower” speaks to the fact that all people, no matter their social status, race, or ethnic group, possess an innate diamond-like self. In Buddhism, it’s called “Buddha Nature” or enlightened life condition.
Monika: How has your transition influenced the way you see the world through your art?
Koko: It’s a yes and no answer. In some ways, my artistic perception has stayed the same because I still draw on my past musical experiences. But in other ways, it has changed because I am drawing on the inspiration of what I am currently experiencing, whether it is on a social level meaning interactions with people, inspirational stories or narratives, and what I’m currently into musically.
Monika: Has living openly as a transgender woman shaped the way you understand your role as an artist?
Koko: For me, art has no gender and yet it has all genders, it has no color yet it possesses all colors. Being openly trans has its advantages and disadvantages. For me, the advantages outweigh any disadvantage, because we get to live authentically. Also, for many trans people, we have seen and experienced the two extremes in the gender binary, which means that we are privy to what cis folk don’t experience. The disadvantages only pertain to financial success in my case. Since financial success is relative in many situations, I would say that being trans has been a great advantage for me.
Monika: Contemporary music has given rise to a new wave of transgender female artists, including Mina Caputo of Life of Agony, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Marissa Martinez of Cretin, Amber Taylor of The Sexual Side Effects, Namoli Brennet, Sissy Début, and Jennifer Leitham, and many others. Do you think the music industry will continue to see a growing number of transgender artists entering mainstream music?
Koko: That’s hard to answer but I would have to say yes. I feel that it will mirror what’s happening in society. All of those artists that you have mentioned above had to go through obstacles to live and stay true to their art. My hope is to see many more young aspiring trans and queer artists break through the structural barriers that exist in the music business.
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| With her band at Joe's Pub. |
Monika: How would you describe the current place of transgender women in American society, especially in terms of visibility and public perception?
Koko: I think that we are slowly trying to move out of the darkness and into the light. In the past, so many of us have been objectified by the media. It has been the outspoken voices of folks like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox that have started to change the conversation away from sensationalizing our bodies and narratives to learning about the lived experiences of trans women.
Monika: How do you see the political and social climate affecting transgender women today?
Koko: At the same time, there is pushback in America along the conservative front. There are still anti-discrimination laws that need to be passed to protect the rights of trans women. Our stories collectively are vast and should be told. Unfortunately, at the same time, there is an epidemic of violence against trans women, especially trans women of color in America and around the globe.
Monika: When you look back on the beginning of your journey, how old were you when you first transitioned, and what were the biggest challenges you faced at that time?
Koko: Well, I actually transitioned twice. I started my transition in the late ’80s at the age of 29. I was a late bloomer, as they say. It was difficult at first to weigh my career aspirations and my commitment as a parent against my need to live authentically. Eventually, with the help of other trans women who I met at that time, I was able to successfully transition and live the life I was meant to live.
Monika: Later in life, you had to interrupt that transition. What circumstances led to your second transition?
Koko: In late 1999 I had to make a tough decision. My daughter wanted to come live with me, so I petitioned the court to gain full custody of her. My request was denied based on the opinion of a court-appointed family psychologist. It was either continue living my life and lose the chance of being a full-time parent or change my appearance and have a chance to be an important part of my daughter’s childhood and teenage years. I chose the latter. After my daughter graduated high school and went to college I was able to transition again for a second time. I think the process of transition is always difficult. I haven’t met one trans woman who didn’t find the road a little bumpy.
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| Drumming on Riis Beach NY 1970. Photo by Regina Jones. |
Monika: When you look back at the early years of your transition, were there any figures who inspired you or helped you understand the kind of woman you wanted to become?
Koko: When I first transitioned there weren’t a lot of role models that were easily accessible. I would say that my first role model was my mother and my sisters along with a host of other powerful women. As far as trans women, Caroline Cossey, also known as Tula, was one of them. But I think my role models were those in the community who were living their lives and had a connection to the ballroom scene that gave me the strength to carry on. I became close to women like Angie Xtravaganza, Jovanna Lopez, Carmen Xtravaganza, Mo’dayvia Labeija, and many others during that period. These are the women I looked up to and still do today.
Monika: Today, when you look at the landscape of the transgender community, are there women whose work or presence you admire most?
Koko: Well, there are so many that it’s hard to mention them all. A few that stand out for me are Janet Mock, Lourdes Ashley Hunter, Ida Hammer, Miasha Forbes, Kiara St. James, Katrina Goodlett, Sidney Chase Marie, Nala Simone, Vanessa Victoria, Carmen Xtravaganza, Laverne Cox, Gisele Alicea, Elizabeth Marie Rivera, Melissa Sklarz and Marlo Bernier. I could keep naming names for a very long time.
Monika: When you think back to the period when you first began living openly as yourself, what stands out as the most difficult part of that experience?
Koko: Well, I don’t really use the phrase “coming out”. I prefer to say blossoming or living in my authentic self. But I understand what you mean. I would say there are a couple of things. The hardest part was being separated from my child. I would also say the physical abuse that I endured because I was living in my truth. Another difficult part was losing my music career for a time and facing the stigma that came with trying to keep working at the level I was used to before my transition.
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| With Sunrize, the backing band for the Isley Brothers. |
Monika: The transgender community is often grouped together with the broader LGBT movement, but do you feel that trans people are truly able to advance their own goals within that larger framework?
Koko: I don’t think it has anything to do with the letter being last, but it does feel as if the T was placed there at the end as a kind of compromise. There is a long history of our exclusion from the conversation about LGBT rights. Many people don’t realize that there has been active denial of rights to trans-identified individuals since the early days of the Gay Rights movement.
END OF PART 1
All the photos: Courtesy of Koko Jones.
© 2015 - Monika Kowalska
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