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                      Rick James

  The Great Lakes, Funk and cornrows all enjoyed popularity from the 60s through to the early 80s.  They also had one man in common... and he's 'RICK JAMES, BITCH!!'

James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. was born February 1, 1948 in Buffalo, New York (the Great Lakes region).  His family consisted of 7 siblings (he was born third), a Disco Technician of an Absentee Father, an Ex-Dancer of a Mother (who kept food on the table by running numbers) and an Uncle who sang bass vocals for the Temptations (Melvin Franklin).

The 'King of Punk-Funk' joined the U.S. Navy at age 17 after dropping out of High School.  The problem with the Navy was that it interfered with his music.  He'd skip out on weekend training and was thusly reported AWOL.  Next stop for him, up north.  It was back to the Great Lakes region, this time Toronto, Ontario.  It was the Summer of '64 that he assumed the stage name Ricky Matthews.  As Matthews he started the group 'The Mynah Birds' which recorded a single the following year for the Canadian branch of Columbia Records.

The Mynah Birds would then audition for Motown Records in early 1966.  Although back in the states the legendary label called Detroit, Michigan ('The Motor City') home, so Rick still didn't leave the Great Lakes region.  The band went through some internal drama, but it wouldn't stop them from eventually recording an album for the label.  Why the Mynah Birds never became a household name is another story altogether.  You see, their Manager apparently pocketed the entire advance given them to record the record.  Upon discovering this, the band fired the Manager, who in retaliation reported the future legend's AWOL status to Motown.  Who in turn demanded Rick turn himself in to the FBI.  The Mynah Birds album, and essentially career, became 'shelved,' as they say, forever.

The brunt of his 1966 was spent in the Brooklyn Brig, as punishment for being AWOL.  Come Summer of 1967, James would return to Toronto and form a new version of the Mynah Birds.  The second generation of the band was together long enough to record a version of James and Neil Young's 'It's My Time' for Motown, disbanding shortly after.  The end of the band was not the end of James' relationship with the label.  He stayed on as a Songwriter and Producer.  As Terry Johnson, the Great Lakes Great worked with Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Spinners and Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers.

The Summer of '69 brought Rick James to Los Angeles, where he formed the band Salt 'N' Pepper.  The band recorded a demo for Atlantic Records and most notably performed with Jethro Tull at the Fillmore West.
 
Two years passed before James resurfaced in Toronto recording, 'Big Showdown' and 'Don't You Worry' with Ed Roth for RCA Records.  Rick James went on to record with bands like Heaven and Earth, Great White Cane and Stone City Band before going completely solo.  In 1974 he signed with A&M Records and released the song 'My Mama.'  Which was followed up two years later by 'Get Up And Dance.'
 
A year later James returned to song writing and producing at Motown Records.  1978 saw the release of his solo debut album 'Come Get It.'  The classic included favorites like 'You and I' and Hip Hop Building Block, 'Mary Jane.'  Solo classics like those kept his music on many a turntable and cassette deck in the 80s.  However success as a singer never stopped him from working with other artists...  Included in his producing credits is the solitary hit of one Eddie Murphy.  The song , you may recall, was called, 'Party All The Time.'
 
Sadly James got caught up.  Drug addiction would lead to arrests and convictions.  In one instance, for kidnapping and assaulting two women, which his wife Tanya Hijazi aided him in.  He would serve two years in Folsom Prison and pay $2 million in damages.  After his prison release, James attempted a comeback.  It ended in his suffering a stroke on stage while performing in Denver Colarado.
 
Although he reportedly never stopped eating off his work in the music industry, the spotlight on his career was quite dim for several years before a comedy sketch gave him the fuel for his final comeback attempt.  In 2004 Comedy Central aired the second (and arguably final) season of Chappelle's Show.  Among its regular players the groundbreaking sketch comedy series featured another Murphy.  February 11th saw the debut of a sketch called, 'Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories.'  The subject of the profile was Rick James.  That night Chappelle as James would say the words that introduced the Funk legend to a new generation of followers... 'I'm Rick James, Bitch!!!'
 
Sadly Rick James didn't get to enjoy his new upswing in popularity for long.  On August 6, 2004 James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. died of pulmonary and cardiac failure.  A pacemaker couldn't save him from his losing battler with diabetes.  He is survived by his children Tazman, Ty, Rick James jr., and his grandchildren Jasmine and Charizma.