Early life and education
Jones was born in Paris, Tennessee, on December 12, 1943. He attended Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, where he played in a band and first found his way onto the air as a disc jockey, the job that would set the course of his early career.1
Career
Jones built his first reputation behind the microphone in radio. His work as a disc jockey took him to major markets, including Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, and he branched into voice work for commercials, which in turn opened the door to television.1 He hosted Soul Unlimited, a short-lived music and dance program produced by Dick Clark and conceived as a competitor to Soul Train.1
It was animation that gave Jones his most enduring legacy. He voiced the original African American superhero Black Vulcan on Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends, a role he is closely identified with across the franchise's late-1970s and early-1980s run. In the mid-1980s he became a regular presence in syndicated action cartoons, providing the voice of the Autobot communications specialist Blaster in The Transformers and the medic Doc in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. He also voiced Lothar in Defenders of the Earth, the Mandrake the Magician adaptation that brought several King Features heroes together. His later credits included work on series such as Jem, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, and The New Batman Adventures.1 Across these roles he became one of the recognizable voices of the era's adventure animation, frequently cast as steady, commanding, or heroic characters.3
Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
Jones took over the role of Winston Zeddemore on The Real Ghostbusters beginning with the fourth season, replacing Arsenio Hall, who had voiced the character through the first three seasons. Jones voiced Winston for the remainder of the series, seasons four through seven, and continued in the role on the spin-off series Slimer!.2 Within the cartoon, Winston is the courage and the level-headed straight man of the team, noted for his accuracy with the proton gun and given some of the series' more subtle character development.4
Extreme Ghostbusters
Jones returned to the role for the 1997 follow-up series Extreme Ghostbusters, appearing as a guest voice when the original Ghostbusters reunite with the new team in the two-part story Back in the Saddle, Part 1 and Back in the Saddle, Part 2. These episodes mark his final turn as Winston Zeddemore.5
Death
Jones died on September 16, 2014, in North Hollywood, California, at the age of 70.1
Buster Jones is the voice most longtime Real Ghostbusters fans picture when they hear Winston Zeddemore, since he carried the role across the bulk of the series' run and into its spin-offs. Animation cels, autographs, and other voice-cast memorabilia from this era surface among collectors, though Jones was a behind-the-microphone performer rather than a regular convention guest.
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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"Buster Jones," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Jones.
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The Real Ghostbusters (1986 to 1991), Columbia Pictures Television / DIC Enterprises. Buster Jones voiced Winston Zeddemore from the fourth season onward (seasons four to seven), taking over from Arsenio Hall, who voiced the character in seasons one through three, and continued in the role on the spin-off series Slimer!.
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"Buster Jones (1943 to 2014)," IMDb, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0427665/.
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The Real Ghostbusters character notes. Within the series Winston Zeddemore is the courage and level-headed straight man of the team, noted for his accuracy with the proton gun and given some of the show's more subtle character development.
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Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), Adelaide Productions / Sony. "Back in the Saddle, Part 1" and "Back in the Saddle, Part 2." Buster Jones returns as Winston Zeddemore alongside Frank Welker (Ray Stantz) and Dave Coulier (Peter Venkman).
