Awards

About Spider Jones

Heavy Weight Champion Of Inspiration

Chuck "Spider" Jones was born poor in Windsor, Ontario. As a young boy, he dreamed of becoming a radio personality. At school, racial attacks became an everyday occurrence. Spider’s confidence evaporated and his self-esteem plummeted. He gave up and dropped out. For years, he lived on the streets of Detroit running with a gang. He was on a dead-end course that landed him in jail.

As he got older, Spider channeled his street smarts into boxing, ultimately winning three Golden Glove Championships. After boxing, he worked at a variety of jobs, but quickly realized he was in a dead-end situation. "When you haven’t got an education, employers will exploit you," says Spider. "I decided that if I ever wanted to achieve and provide a better life for my family, I had to get the education and skills."

At the age of 30, Spider Jones followed his dream, enrolled in broadcast journalism, and graduated with honours. He became a sports broadcaster, working side by side with George Chuvalo, broadcasting boxing matches throughout North America. Then he combined his passion for music with his skill as a radio broadcaster, interviewing the likes of Tina Turner, James Brown, and countless other high-profile singers.

In 1966 Spider was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame, and was voted "Boxing Commentator and M.C. of the Year" by the Board of Governors for the World Boxing Federation.

Currently the host of his own show on CFRB, Spider dedicates much of his spare time to speaking across North America to kids, recounting his own journey from gang life to broadcaster. A talented musician, he sings a variety of soul, R & B, and love ballads with his band Spider Jones and the Fabulous Web.

Spider's book, "Out of the Darkness: The Spider Jones Story", chronicles his metamorphosis from street punk to radio personality. His next book, "How to K.O. Low Self-Esteem & Bring Your Dreams into Reality in 10 Rounds", will give people a 10-step program to overcome adversity. "When you overcome any challenge, you will feel great!"

To learn more about Spider Jones, visit www.spiderjones.com.