Rick James
| Rick James | |
|---|---|
James on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in 1984
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. |
| Also known as | Big Jimmy Jimmy "The Whale" Ricky James Matthews Slick Rick |
| Born |
February 1, 1948 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 6, 2004 (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1965–2004 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | The Mynah Birds, Stone City Band, Heaven and Earth, Mary Jane Girls, Process and the Doo Rags, Neil Young, Val Young, Eddie Murphy, Teena Marie |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
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Hohner Clavinet Music Man StingRay Rickenbacker 4001 Gibson Les Paul |
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Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004) was an American musician, composer and actor.
Influenced by singers such as Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, James started singing in doo-wop and R&B groups as a teenager in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. After entering the U.S. Navy to avoid being drafted, he deserted to Toronto, where he formed the rock and R&B band, The Mynah Birds, whose lineup included Bruce Palmer, Neil Young, and Nick St. Nicholas. James' tenure with the group was interrupted after he was discovered recording a record for Motown Records in 1966. Surrendering to military authorities, he served a one-year prison term. Upon release, James moved to California to resume his career with the Mynah Birds until the group disbanded. James began a series of rock bands in California, and worked for Motown as a songwriter under the alias "Ricky Matthews."
In 1977, he signed with a Motown imprint, Gordy Records, as a recording artist, releasing his debut, Come Get It!, in April 1978. The album sold over two million copies, and launched his career as a funk and soul artist. His most popular album, 1981's Street Songs, launched him into superstardom thanks to the hit singles, "Give It to Me Baby" and "Super Freak", the latter song becoming his signature song, and the basis of MC Hammer's biggest hit, "U Can't Touch This." James eventually sued for back royalties. After being credited as writer of the song, James became the 1991 recipient of a Best R&B Song Grammy for composing the song. Due to this success, James was often called the "king of punk funk", for his mix of funk, soul and underground-inspired rock music. In addition to his own success, James emerged as a successful songwriter and producer for other artists, such as Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, The Temptations, Eddie Murphy and Smokey Robinson.
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