SOUL Newspaper was a Los Angeles-based, Black Entertainment publication from 1966 to 1982, expanding from local to national distribution during its 16-year run. Founded by Ken and Regina Jones, SOUL featured articles and photographs of the most innovative African-American musicians and entertainers of the time, including: James Brown, The Supremes, Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, The Jackson 5, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston, Diahann Carroll, Stevie Wonder and Tina Turner. The first issue was published April 15, 1966, with James Brown and Mick Jagger on the cover and a headline reading “White Artists Selling Negro ‘Soul.’”
Ken and Regina Jones started SOUL Newspaper in Los Angeles in 1966. SOUL was born from an idea that Ken had while watching the fires in South Central Los Angeles from the office of KRLA Radio where he worked as a reporter and was covering the Watts Riots of 1965. He saw a need for positive news to be covered and distributed in the area where he and Regina had been raised and still lived. SOUL was the first publication of its kind and was readily received by readers, record companies, artists as well as military service officers serving everywhere including Vietnam.
Ken’s career grew as he became Los Angeles’ first Black television news anchorman and worked at KTTV and KCBS television. Regina left her job as Radio Telephone Operator at the Los Angeles Police Department to run SOUL. She grew from handling the finances, distribution, advertising sales, to becoming editor and publisher. An amazing learning experience for a young Black woman, teen mother of five children, in the late 1960’s.
SOUL's run ended in 1982 after 16 years. In 2010 a portion of the periodical and photo collection was donated to UCLA's Special Archives and Indiana University.
Matthew Jones, Ken and Regina's eldest grandson began archiving and preserving the newspaper in 2010. He began this site in 2020 with the hopes of sharing this cherished paper with a new generation.