White Jimmy
| White Jimmy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Reginald White |
| Also known as | White Jimmy |
| Born |
January 11, 1959 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, Songwriter, Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1978 - present |
| Labels |
Slash Records Def American Sun Burns Record Co. SST Records Reprise Ruined Recordings |
| Associated acts |
The Deadweights The Gitmo Condemned |
White Jimmy (born James Reginald White, January 11, 1959 in New York City, New York) is the vocalist of the American punk rock bands The Deadweights and The Gitmo Condemned, owner of the Ruined Recordings label, and a solo punk rock and alternative rock artist.
James White was born in New York City to an Italian father and Irish/British mother. He grew up in a mixed neighborhood, but went to the public schools which were mostly African Americans, and gained the nickname White Jimmy there. He never took it as racist, and has used it as a moniker his entire life since then. In the 1970s, he became a fan of proto punk band New York Dolls, and seminal punk band The Ramones, and began singing in a punk rock band. In 1978, he and Eddie Urland formed The Deadweights.
Throughout his time in The Deadweights' original run, he penned most of the lyrics and came up with some of the music. He became an alcoholic and also became addicted to heroin. By 1987, the band was constantly fighting, and Jimmy overdosed twice between the band's breakup and his final stint in rehab in 1988.
In 1988, he gained the attention of Rick Rubin, head of Def American records, and signed with the label as a solo artist. He released his solo debut, Missing Mindstates, on June 6, 1989. He had a hit on Modern Rock radio with the song "The Fallen One". After touring for the album, he took a break from the music business.
In 1991 he left Def American and signed with SST Records, an independent label, and began work on a second solo album. The album was produced by Spot, who produced The Deadweights' 1985 album Crisis. The album, titled Try Trying Again, was released April 27, 1992. The album found some success amongst the alternative rock explosion of Grunge. In 1994 a collection of B-sides and leftover tracks followed, Found in the Basement Corner.
...
Wikipedia