James started playing and singing at the age of 8, and after graduating college he toured the country as a solo one-man act, playing venues from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and Nashville to Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe. In 1980 he was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Greatest One-Man Band.”
After moving to Northern California in 1981, he played in a number of bands all over the Bay Area as the lead singer and guitar player. He has opened for numerous recording artists in medium- and large-size venues including: Jerry Garcia, Steve Hackett of Genesis, Commander Cody, Taj Mahal, Johnathan Edwards, Richie Havens to name a few. James’ wide dynamic vocal range can shift from smooth angelic to the classic raspy sound. He is also a virtuoso on the guitar (as his growing number of fans will attest to).