Paul James (Canadian musician)

Paul James
James performing in August 2010
Background information
Born	(1951-01-18) January 18, 1951 (age 66)
Genres	Rockabilly, blues
Instruments	Guitar, vocals

Paul James (born January 18, 1951 in Toronto, Canada) is a Juno Award-winning blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.

Paul James, born Paul James Vigna, grew up in the Bathurst and Bloor Street area of Toronto called midtown. He graduated from Harbord Collegiate Institute. He began playing the guitar at the age of twelve, having first learned to play the accordion at the age of seven, through which he also learned to read music. He had taken up playing the accordion because his family could not afford a piano. James began playing professionally in the mid-1960s, while in high school. He achieved recognition as a member of a band formed with his classmates called 'Can't Explain'.The very young group of 14 year olds were asked to play a couple songs at the Devil's Den, located below the Avenue Road Ballroom, the older crowd of Hippies gave them an ovation which gave them the courage go back to the Devils Den. This time Paul James and his drummer John Butt sat in with The Mynah Birds, (Rick James was the lead singer, Neil Young was Rhythm guitar, and Bruce Palmer was bass guitar, Neil & Bruce would later go the USA to play in the group, Buffalo Springfield), again there was great applause. Paul James & John Butt were invited by Murray the owner of the Devils Den to come back once more, this time they sat in with The Sparrow (who would later form the band Steppenwolf). James started playing in Toronto bars full-time following his high school graduation. He answered an add put up by Frank Mehan in the Long & McQuades Music Store, who was looking for a guitarist who could also sing R&B in his Trio Spring Fever. James was just 17yrs. old. The age limit for bars at that time was 21. After playing many different bars around Ontario, Spring Fever became the house band, for nearly two years, at the Bermuda Tavern in Toronto, playing six forty-minute sets per night, six nights a week, plus two additional sets on Saturday afternoon. While playing at the Bermuda Tavern, James would regularly visit the nearby Colonial Tavern between sets, At the time, the Colonial Tavern featured prominent blues and jazz artists, who played a full week with a matinee on Saturdays. James was particularly influenced through seeing performances by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy & Jr. Wells and was even asked to sit in with Muddy's band on the Matinee. James would then go back to the Bermuda and play a Muddy Water's song that he just watched Muddy play...

As of 1970, the house band at the Bermuda Tavern evolved into the band Lick'n Stick, led by James, and playing old rock and blues. During this time, James was Musical Director and composed the music for three musicals for Young People's Theatre. The first, Cyclone Jack, written by Carol Bolt about aboriginal marathon runner Tom Longboat, premiered in 1972. The other two plays to which James Musical Director and Composer were Mauriceabout Quebec Premier Maurice Dupessis (1975) and Finding Bumble (1975), both also written by Carol Bolt. All three plays were directed by Tim Bond.