Jesse Cotton Stone, is a Colorado-Born, American Highway-Raised, Blues Man. A 3rd Generation "Carny", he spent the earliest of his years on the Carnival circuit training as a traveling entertainer from his parents and grandfather who was a balloon clown.
In 1994, at the age of 11 he began teaching himself to play blues guitar by ear,
"Though Colorado born, my blues influence was rooted on the banks of the Missouri River, where my Fathers side of our family had migrated from Texas during the Great Depression. We lived many years there throughout my upbringing and spent most summers going to blues clubs, barbecues,juke joints, blues festivals, and National Gospel Choir competitions, throughout the midwest while on the road with the carnival circuit."
While working on the Midwestern carnival circuit with his father, Jesse heard the music of Jimi Hendrix and learned of the influence Blues Music had on his hero. This Experience inspired him to sell his childhood Matchbox Car collection for money to purchase his first electric guitar.
Jesse began cutting his teeth on the live stage playing blues jams and sitting in with anyone who would let him throughout the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions.
In formative years he had the honor of learning from and sharing greenrooms, jam sessions and concert stages with the likes of B.B. King, Lonnie Brooks, Magic Slim, Honeyboy Edwards, Russell Jackson, Kim Simmons, Jerry Ricks, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, John Cephas, Phil Wiggins, Link Wray, John Jackson, Koko Taylor, Derek Trucks, and the Junior Wells Blues Band, to name a few.
Before forming the Jesse Cotton Stone Band, at the age of 14, he performed at Kansas City's Grand Emporium, the Kansas City Spirit Festival, Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival, and the Memorial Benefit Concert for the late Junior Wells held at Chicago's House of Blues in '98.