rick james

Orchard Park, New York, United States Died August 6, 2004 (aged 56)

Burbank, California, United States Genre(s) R&B, Soul, Funk Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, dancer, bandleader, record producer Instrument(s) Vocal, bass, keyboards, drums and other percussion instruments Years active 1964 – 2004

Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson, Jr) (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004) was an American musician. He was one of the most popular artists on the Motown label during the late 1970s and early 1980s.[citation needed] In addition to his music, he gained notoriety for his wild lifestyle: later in life, James' drug abuse led to widely publicized legal problems. Contents [hide] 1 Early life 2 1970s-80s 3 1990s-2004 3.1 Death 4 Tributes 5 In pop culture 6 Discography 6.1 Albums 6.2 Singles 7 References 8 See also 9 External links //

Early life

Born in Attica, New York, James was the third oldest in a family of eight. His father was an autoworker who abandoned the family, his mother was a former dancer. His uncle was Melvin Franklin, bass vocalist of The Temptations.

In 1964, James left the U.S. Naval Reserve after having begun to miss weekend training because it interfered with his music career.[1] Fleeing north to Toronto, Ontario in the summer of 1964, James, now using the stage name Big Jimmy, continued his musical career. His first band, formed with future Steppenwolf member Nick St. Nicholas was initially called the Sailor Boys but soon changed their name to the Mynah Birds. Bassist Bruce Palmer took over for St. Nicholas in early 1965, and the group soon released their first single, "Mynah Bird Hop" / "Mynah Bird Song" for Columbia Records of Canada.

James and Palmer soon formed a new Mynah Birds lineup with guitarists Tom Morgan and Xavier Taylor, and drummer Rick Mason. In early 1966, the Mynah Birds auditioned for the Motown label in Detroit. Morgan was unhappy with the label's attitude towards the musicians and left, with Neil Young taking his place. With Young on board, the Mynah Birds returned to Motown to record an album, but their manager pocketed the advance money the label had given the band. The band fired their manager, who in turn told the label that James was AWOL. Motown told him to give himself up to the FBI, and the Mynah Birds' album was shelved.

1970s-80s

James spent a year in the Brooklyn Brig, after which he briefly returned to Toronto. During the summer of 1967, Rick James formed a new version of The Mynah Birds (sometimes spelled "Myna Byrds") with Neil Merryweather. The band returned to Motown and Detroit and recorded a new version of James and Neil Young's It's My Time, but the band broke up soon afterwards. During early 1968,