Colin James

Early years

James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He got his break opening for Stevie Ray Vaughan in Regina in 1984. When the scheduled opening act didn't show, he only had a few hours' notice to put together a set of blues standards with members from the local Regina band "Flying Colours". Vaughan invited Colin to perform with him during the encore, and then join his tour as a permanent opening act. He and his band The Hoodoo Men opened for Vaughn for several tour dates in the United States. According to legend, Vaughan himself suggested the stage name "Colin James", because when announced over arena P.A. systems, "Munn" sounded like "Mud".^{[1] [2]} James also played guitar on Richard Marx's song "Thunder and Lightning".

Rock, blues and swing band career

In 1988, following his association with Vaughan, James released his self-titled debut album, which yielded several international hit singles, as did the follow up Sudden Stop. He presaged the mid-1990s swing music revival with his Colin James and the Little Big Band project, which released a successful first CD in 1993, with a follow-up gold record in 1998^[3], a third disc 2006, and a Christmas album in 2007.

James's worldwide popularity waned somewhat in the late 1990s, but he continued to release albums in rock, blues, and acoustic styles. In 2005, he gave a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to his home province of Saskatchewan.

James' backing band frequently includes members of the Vancouver-based band Odds, and he has co-written songs with Odds singer-guitarist Craig Northey. In February 2005, James guest-starred in an episode of the television program Corner Gas, a Canadian sitcom based in rural Saskatchewan.

In 2007, James' album Limelight received a Gold record for sales in Canada. In January 2008, James received three Toronto Blues Society Maple Blues Awards: "Entertainer of the Year", "Electric Act of the Year" and "Recording of the Year" for Colin James & The Little Big Band 3.^[4]

In 2009, James recorded an album, and amongst the collaborators were Tom Wilson, once of Junkhouse. The album, Rooftops and Satellites, was co-produced, engineered and mixed by Mike Fraser, at the Warehouse studios in Vancouver.^[5]

James' 2016 album Blue Highways ranked at no. 46 on Living Blues magazine's Top 50 albums of that year. Its follow-up, Miles To Go, was released in September 2018.

Studio albums

• Colin James (1988)
• Sudden Stop (1990)
• Colin James and the Little Big Band (1993)
• Bad Habits (1995)
• National Steel (1997)
• Colin James and the Little Big Band II (1998)
• Fuse (2000)
• Traveler (2003)
• Limelight (2005)
• Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 (2006)
• Colin James & The Little Big Band: Christmas (2007)
• Rooftops and Satellites (2009)
• Fifteen (2012)
• Hearts On Fire (2015)
• Blue Highways (2016)
• Miles To Go (2018)

Live albums

• Twenty Five Live (2013)

Compilation albums

• Then Again... (1995)
• Take It From The Top: The Best Of Colin James (2011)

Guest appearances

• The Chieftains – Another Country (1992)
• Long John Baldry – It Still Ain't Easy (1991)
• Long John Baldry – Right To Sing The Blues (1996)
• JW-Jones Blues Band – My Kind of Evil (2004)
• Craig Northey and Jesse Valenzuela – Northey Valenzuela (2004)

Singles

• 1986:
  • "Five Long Years" (released by Bumstead Records)
• 1988:
  • "Voodoo Thing"
• 1989:
  • "Dream of Satin"
  • "Chicks and Cars and the Third World War"
  • "Five Long Years" (released by Virgin Records)
  • "Why'd You Lie" which was played in an episode of 'Due South'
  • "Back in My Arms Again"
• 1990:
  • "Just Came Back" [#5 CAN]
  • "Keep On Loving Me Baby" [#35 CAN]
  • "If You Lean On Me"
  • "T For Trouble"
  • "Give It Up" (with Bonnie Raitt)
• 1992:
  • "Love Thang"
• 1993:
  • "Cadillac Baby"
• 1994:
  • "Surely (I Love You)"
  • "Breakin' Up the House"
  • "No More Doggin'"
• 1995:
  • "Freedom"
  • "Saviour"
• 1996:
  • "Real Stuff"
• 1998:
  • "Let's Shout (Baby Work Out)"
  • "C'mon with the C'mon"
• 2000:
  • "Hide"
  • "Getting Higher"
• 2003:
  • "I'm Losing You"
  • "Make A Mistake"
• 2004:
  • "Know How To Love You"
• 2005:
  • "Far Away Like A Radio"
  • "Better Way To Heaven"
  • "Travelin'"
• 2006:
  • "Into The Mystic"
  • "If You Need Me"
• 2009:
  • "Man's Gotta Be A Stone"
  • "Lost Again"
  • "Wavelength"
• 2010:
  • "Johnny Coolman"
• 2012:
  • "Stone Faith"
  • "I Need You Bad"
• 2015:
  • "Just a Little Love"

Wins

• 1989 – "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year"^[8]
• 1991 – "Single of the Year" for "Just Came Back"
• 1991 – "Male Vocalist of the Year"
• 1996 – "Male Vocalist of the Year"
• 1998 – "Best Blues Album for National Steel
• 1999 – "Best Producer" for "Let's Shout" and "C'mon with the C'mon" from Colin James and the Little Big Band II

Nominations

• 1989 – "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
• 1991 – "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
• 1992 – "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
• 1994 – "Best Blues/Gospel Album" for Colin James and The Little Big Band
• 1995 – "Male Vocalist of the Year"
• 1996 – "Best Video" for "Freedom"
• 1998 – "Best Male Vocalist"
• 1999 – "Best Blues Album for Colin James and The Little Big Band II