About JIMMY JAMES

Talents ~

  Electric guitar, Solo Acoustic Guitar and Vocal, Electric and Acoustic Bass, Drums, Vocals, B-3 Organ, Piano, Low Brass, Arranging, Composition, Engineering, Management, Consulting.

Education ~

American Federation of Musicians - Local 727

State of Florida Teaching Certificate

University of Tampa - Bachelor of Music Education, President of Honorary Music Fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi, Crew Team.

Colonia Sr. High School - Colonia, NJ Class Vice President

Experience ~

Jimmy James has played in the following acts:

Tommy Tutone (Band Leader), Bad Company featuring Brian Howe, Mike Tramp/White Lion, Brenda Lee, Animotion, Fabian, The Coasters, The Marvellettes, Lou Christie & The Cadillacs.

Jimmy has been fortunate to have his music take him to the following 55 countries in addition to most of the USA; England, Scotland, Luxumbourg, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greenland, Finland, Estonia, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Sicily, Malta, Egypt, Sanai, Iceland, Bahamas, St Croix, St Thomas, St Johns, Barbados, Honduras, Antigua, Dominican Republic, St Maartin, St Lucia, St Kitts, Trinidad, Aruba, Belize, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Curacao, Puert Rico, Grand Turk, Cuba, Mexico, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Dubai, Kuwait, Tunisia, Canada, S. Korea and Japan.

Jimmy is excited to have shared the bill with these performers: The Romantics, The Knack, The Smithereens, Berlin, Devo, Steppenwolf, Missing Persons, The Motels, Thomas Dolby, Rick Springfield, John Waite, Scandel, Naked Eyes, Cheap Trick, Boy George, The Fixx, Ten Years After, Flock of Seagulls, Leon Russell, Lou Rawls, Men at Work/Colin Hay, The Outfield, Rick Derringer, Bay City Rollers, Greg Kihn, Bow Wow Wow, Foghat, Georgia Satellites, Quiet Riot, Warrant, Slaughter, LA Guns, Molly Hatchet, 10,000 Maniacs, Wang Chung, Cutting Crew, Tone Loc, Survivor, Eddie Money, Cheap Trick, Ritchie Sambora, Vanilla Ice, Tiffany, Eric Martin (Mr Big), Kip Winger etc.

Fiesta Texas - San Antonio, TX. Wrote, directed, managed, and performed in the "Motown Show"

Opryland USA - Nashville, TN. Wrote, managed, and performed in the "Rock Show"

Busch Gardens - Tampa, FL. Wrote, directed, managed, and performed in "Buddy and the Wisers Rock Show" Also served as Entertainment supervisor for the dept. and substitute performer for most other live music shows.

Disney's Pleasure Island - Orlando, FL. Specialty shows.

Premier Cruise Lines - Port Canaveral. FL. On board entertainment.

Pan Am Airlines - Entertainment for International trade shows.

Gibson Guitar Co. - Nashville, TN. Artist Relations.

Corner Music, Nashville, TN and Thoroughbred Music, Tampa, FL - Sales and guitar repair.

Shows for the Armed Forces Entertainment/USO. shows

Entertainment Buyer for Green Iguana, Splitsville Lanes; Disneyland & Disneyworld.

Influences ~

  Eddie Cochran, Joe Meek, The Zombies, The Monkees, Rolling Stones, Ritchie Blackmore, Procol Harum, Genesis, B.B. King, Django Rheinhardt, Steve Marriott, Leonardo DaVinci, Manfred Richtofen, Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, and of course my parents for always supporting my dreams.

Endorsements ~

  Jimmy has earned product Endorsements with Gibson Guitars, ESP Guitars, Marshall Amplifiers, Orange Amplifiers, Ampeg Amplifiers, Hammond Organs, Rick Turner Guitars, Phantom Guitars, Fosters Beer and Clayton Custom Picks.

Jimmy is proud to have several custom instruments made from various companies. Here are a few remarkable examples.

RICK TURNER RS-6.

   Rick made me two of these. The most fantastic live touring acoustic guitar. Really is perfect for the job. Colin Hay introduced me to these. The first one has a cedar top on curly maple. The second one he made from a piece of spalted maple that I got from Canada. Iron cross inlay too. Stunning.

KUBICKI FACTOR BASS.

   Phil made this one of a kind Factor for me in '06. I had been playing a Factor since the 80's. This bass is the only one in the world with a single pick up and a maple fretboard. He had made the neck for Stu Hamm, but he didn't like it. The top is left over 'Fender Wild Wood' from the 1960's. Phil & Roger were the entire custom shop at Fender, handmaking guitars for Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison etc. He kept a small stock of Wildwood leftover veneers when he left. This is one we picked out together for the bass. Almost too cool to own.

FENDER STRATOCASTER.

   Dennis Galuska, Master Builder at the Fender Custom Shop, made this for me around 2009. Curly maple top. Iron cross inlays. Orange tint. Sweet.

GIBSON 1275 DOUBLENECK.

   Gibson Custom Shop made me this around 1989. Yes, it is orange. Very cool headstock inlay Phil made from a drawing I made. Everyone at the factory called it the 'Great Pumpkin'. LOL