Have You Met Miss Jones?

Giving new meaning to exposing and entertaining (also the tag line of her popular morning show), controversial radio show host Miss Jones (nee Tarsha Jones) makes her literary debut with her autobiographical memoir Have You Met Miss Jones? (One World/Ballantine ). The tome is a personal and revealing look into the life of the outspoken […]

Giving new meaning to exposing and entertaining (also the tag line of her popular morning show), controversial radio show host Miss Jones (nee Tarsha Jones) makes her literary debut with her autobiographical memoir Have You Met Miss Jones? (One World/Ballantine ). The tome is a personal and revealing look into the life of the outspoken on-air personality, exposing readers to a vulnerable side of the gossip queen with the tough exterior.Billed as a scandalous tell-all, Jones falls way short of Karrine Steffans-type dirt only spilling the beans on a little known affair and brief engagement with rap artist Busta Rhymes, and her love/lust for Doug E. Fresh. Decent information indeed, however when Jones touches on her years in radio, the real revelations begin. Jones takes the reader behind the scenes of her controversial first stint with New York station HOT 97 and her battles with fellow shock jock Star, and her subsequent gig at WPHI in Philadelphia. Jones also gives much needed insight into the climate at the station before and after the furor surrounding her suspensions after the Aaliyah plane crash sound effect and tsunami fiascos. There are some shortcomings. One in perticular, the time period fluctuates mid-chapter in some places which can get a little confusing (i.e Jones starts a paragraph with the year “1995” and towards the middle of the paragraph is speaking about Busta’s marriage proposal right before a HOT 97 Summer Jam concert with Jay-Z, DMX, Method Man, Redman, and The Violators—a concert that took place in1999). Though Jones tells a story of low self-esteem, emotional and physical abuse at the hands of former lovers, and co-workers, she never comes across as someone seeking sympathy for her experiences. Rather it is the story of a woman driven to succeed, taking on the harsh reality of life and love, learning from her mistakes and persevering. If you love or hate her, Have You Met Miss Jones? lives up to its title giving the public a much needed glimpse into the life of the woman who commands the airwaves today.