Rick James
American musician (1948–2004)
Why this is trending
Interest in “Rick James” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-22.
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Key Takeaways
- James Ambrose Johnson Jr.
- Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Rick James began his musical career in his teenage years.
- Naval Reserve to avoid being drafted into the Army.
- James's career with the group halted after military authorities discovered his whereabouts and eventually convicted him of desertion related charges.
- After being released, James moved back to Toronto to pull together a new version of the Mynah Birds, with whom he returned to Motown to record.
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Source summary
WikipediaJames Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Rick James began his musical career in his teenage years. He was in various bands before entering the U.S. Naval Reserve to avoid being drafted into the Army. In 1964, James moved to Toronto, Canada, where he formed the rock band The Mynah Birds, who eventually signed a recording deal with Motown Records in 1966. James's career with the group halted after military authorities discovered his whereabouts and eventually convicted him of desertion related charges. He served several months in jail.
After being released, James moved back to Toronto to pull together a new version of the Mynah Birds, with whom he returned to Motown to record. When that lineup folded, he moved to California, where he took over an existing group of Toronto ex-pats, Merryweather, added a new bassist and changed the group's name to Salt and Pepper. After a strong start and some recording for the Atlantic label, the group split and Rick and the group's keyboardist returned to Toronto to form Heaven and Earth with local players. They later merged with a local horn group, Milestone, and continued under a new name, Great White Cane. That group went to Los Angeles, signed to MGM Records' Lion subsidiary. Their ensuing LP, released in 1972, was a minor rhythm and blues masterpiece but disappeared almost immediately.
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