Del.icio.usRick James
Fact Sheet
| Musical genre: | Funk, Soul |
| Birthday | 1 February 1948 |
| Sign | Aquarius |
| Birthplace | Buffalo, New York, USA |
| Date of death | August 6, 2004 (age 56) |
James was the third of eight children of an autoworker and a former dancer. He was the nephew of Melvin Franklin, the bass vocalist of The Temptations. At age 15, James joined the Naval Reserve. He began missing weekend training when it interfered with his musical career. He was reported AWOL and fled to Toronto. There, he continued his musical career, where he formed a band called The Mynah Birds, which also featured Neil Young and Bruce Palmer as members. The charges came back to haunt him when his success brought him back to the United States, where he was arrested and served time for draft evasion. After his release, James spent time in the UK, where he fronted a group called Main Line. In 1977, he returned to the US and went to work with Motown Records, first as a songwriter, then as a singer and producer. He was most prolific during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was a singer, keyboardist, bassist, producer, arranger, and composer. He performed mostly with his back-up band, The Stone City Band.
James' breakthrough single was "You And I", an eight-minute magnum opus from his 1978 debut album Come Get It, also featuring his ode to marijuana titled simply "Mary Jane". 1979 saw James release two albums, Bustin' Out Of L Seven, in January and Fire It Up that fall. After 1980's lackluster "Garden Of Love album, he then recorded a concept album titled "Street Songs". This album included his biggest hit, "Super Freak" which served as the backing melody for MC Hammer's 1990 Grammy award-winning song "U Can't Touch This." His other hits include "Give it to Me Baby," and "Ghetto Life" (from the same album), "Teardrops", "Cold Blooded," "17," , "You Turn Me On" and "Glow" which was his last R&B hit in 1985. In addition he helped launch the careers of white R&B singer Teena Marie and the Mary Jane Girls.
But it was the dark side of James' life that overpowered his music. He was an occasional drug addict, addicted mostly to cocaine. In 1993, James was convicted of assaulting two women, with the first assault during one of his cocaine binges. Serving two years in Folsom Prison did not stop him from writing new songs, even if he did it behind bars. James was released in 1995.
James attempted a comeback with a new album and tour in 1997, but suffered a mild stroke during a concert in Denver, effectively ending his musical career, although his last public performance was at the 2004 BET Music Awards.
Unknown to most, James was a man of fans. He desparately tried to see all of his fans, and give back the love they have shown him. Bands that have used this to their benefit include, The University of Waterloo Funk Kings, Hell's Funk and J Funk and Funkalicious Five.
Before his stroke, James was interviewed for the VH1 series Behind The Music, and for the first time spoke openly about his life and his battle with drugs.
Ironically, a Behind the Music-style skit on the sketch comedy show Chappelle's Show looked back on interactions between Charlie Murphy and James in the 1980s. The skit depicted Rick James as an egotistical, misogynistic cocaine addict who constantly reminded people "I'm Rick James, bitch!" which has become something of a catch phrase. The skit starred Dave Chappelle as James and Charlie Murphy playing himself, with interspersed interview segments with James.
James was found dead on August 6, 2004 in his Los Angeles home by his caretaker. James died from pulmonary and cardiac failure with his various health conditions of diabetes, stroke, and a pacemaker being listed as attributing factors. At the time of his death, he was working on an autobiography, Confessions Of A Superfreak, as well as a new album. Although he was married previously (and later divorced), he leaves behind three children, Tazman, Ty, and Rick James Jr., and granddaughters Jasmine and Charisma.
Scheduled for release in September/October 2004 is the DVD Rick James: Rockpalast Live, which features a 1982 concert performance from Essen, Germany.