James Johnson Research Paper
James Ambrose Johnson also known as Rick James was born on February 1, 1948 in Buffalo New York. Best known for his hits Super Freak and Mary Jane, Rick James was a popular American musician and composer in the late 1970s. Inspired my musical geniuses like Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, James Ambrose Johnson will soon become musical sensation Rick James
James Johnson and his seven siblings was raised by a single catholic mother in Buffalo who worked by running numbers for a mob to provide for her family. James ran away from his home and entered the United States Navy at the age of 15. During that time, he also became a drummer for jazz groups in New York City. In love with music, James discovered that his military career collided with his musical desire so he lied about his age to avoid being drafted and was also missing his reserve …show more content…
sessions in which he was later ordered to Vietnam, so in 1964 he ran off to Toronto where he took on the name Ricky James Mathew to avoid being caught by military authorities. This is also the year where he formed his first band called the Mynah Birds that was focused on the merging of soul, folk and rock music. In 1965, with the help of James’s uncle Melvin Franklin of the Temptations, the band recorded an album with the Canadian Division of Columbia Records, which was never released because of the disappearing acts of James, yet all was not lost because while in Detroit James met his musical heroes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. After meeting Stevie Wonder and telling him his name, he felt the name "Ricky James Matthews" was too long and changed it to "Ricky James". In 1968, after serving a one year prison term for abandoning his military duties, Rick James returned to Motown where he wrote and produced under the alias Terry Johnson. While working for Motown, James traveled to London and established an R&B group called The Main Line. Although drugs was a negative factor in his life before, strangely on August 8, 1969, the one thing that has had a negative impact on him and his career was the one thing that saved his life. Due to a hangover and drugs, Rick James skipped Sharon’s Tate party, which fortunately he was able to avoid being killed by Charles Manson’s followers.
In 1977 Rick James started a solo career with a band called the Stone City Band which will make him a legend with Motown in 1978, after approaching them once again with a record filled with songs, he started debuting his album Come and Get it which featured hit records You and I and Mary Jane which reach the R&B top number one and three spots. Through his unique style and his funky sound, Rick James became known as the King of Punk-Funk and in 1979, his second album Bustin out of L seven followed his first album upon success selling millions of copies. Then upon his third album release within the same year, Firing it up became a gold record. His biggest hit “Super Freak” was released in 1981 which became a Grammy nominated song. Also with the release of other hits singles such as Give It to Me, Baby and Ghetto Life, James hit the peak of his career. Over the next couple of years James juggled his own music, a career as a producer, and taking on acts such as the Temptations, Eddie Murphy, Teena Marie and the Mary Jane Girls, the 1980s was the rise of his addiction of drugs again, that will follow him into the 1990s and mark the end of his career.
“If you come to fame not knowing who you are, it will define who you are.” Oprah Winfrey.
By the early 1990s, Rick James has lost his deal with Warner Brothers and his drug use and personal life was spiraling out of control. Stamped as a convicted felon for assaulting two women with the help of Tanya Hijazi who would later become his wife, he spent two years in prison and paid $2 million in a civil suit. After his release in 1996, he attempted to make a comeback but suffered a mild stroke in 1997 which ended his career.
“My journey has taken me through hell and back. It’s all in my music—the parties, the pain, the oversized ego, the insane obsessions.” Rick James
On August 6, 2004, Rick James was found dead by his caretaker in his home in Los Angeles California after suffering from pulmonary failure and cardiac failure with his various health conditions of diabetes, stroke, a pacemaker, and a heart attack. Although drugs was found in his system during the autopsy they were ruled out as a factor in which resulted in his
death.
James Johnson and his seven siblings was raised by a single catholic mother in Buffalo who worked by running numbers for a mob to provide for her family. James ran away from his home and entered the United States Navy at the age of 15. During that time, he also became a drummer for jazz groups in New York City. In love with music, James discovered that his military career collided with his musical desire so he lied about his age to avoid being drafted and was also missing his reserve …show more content…
sessions in which he was later ordered to Vietnam, so in 1964 he ran off to Toronto where he took on the name Ricky James Mathew to avoid being caught by military authorities. This is also the year where he formed his first band called the Mynah Birds that was focused on the merging of soul, folk and rock music. In 1965, with the help of James’s uncle Melvin Franklin of the Temptations, the band recorded an album with the Canadian Division of Columbia Records, which was never released because of the disappearing acts of James, yet all was not lost because while in Detroit James met his musical heroes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. After meeting Stevie Wonder and telling him his name, he felt the name "Ricky James Matthews" was too long and changed it to "Ricky James". In 1968, after serving a one year prison term for abandoning his military duties, Rick James returned to Motown where he wrote and produced under the alias Terry Johnson. While working for Motown, James traveled to London and established an R&B group called The Main Line. Although drugs was a negative factor in his life before, strangely on August 8, 1969, the one thing that has had a negative impact on him and his career was the one thing that saved his life. Due to a hangover and drugs, Rick James skipped Sharon’s Tate party, which fortunately he was able to avoid being killed by Charles Manson’s followers.
In 1977 Rick James started a solo career with a band called the Stone City Band which will make him a legend with Motown in 1978, after approaching them once again with a record filled with songs, he started debuting his album Come and Get it which featured hit records You and I and Mary Jane which reach the R&B top number one and three spots. Through his unique style and his funky sound, Rick James became known as the King of Punk-Funk and in 1979, his second album Bustin out of L seven followed his first album upon success selling millions of copies. Then upon his third album release within the same year, Firing it up became a gold record. His biggest hit “Super Freak” was released in 1981 which became a Grammy nominated song. Also with the release of other hits singles such as Give It to Me, Baby and Ghetto Life, James hit the peak of his career. Over the next couple of years James juggled his own music, a career as a producer, and taking on acts such as the Temptations, Eddie Murphy, Teena Marie and the Mary Jane Girls, the 1980s was the rise of his addiction of drugs again, that will follow him into the 1990s and mark the end of his career.
“If you come to fame not knowing who you are, it will define who you are.” Oprah Winfrey.
By the early 1990s, Rick James has lost his deal with Warner Brothers and his drug use and personal life was spiraling out of control. Stamped as a convicted felon for assaulting two women with the help of Tanya Hijazi who would later become his wife, he spent two years in prison and paid $2 million in a civil suit. After his release in 1996, he attempted to make a comeback but suffered a mild stroke in 1997 which ended his career.
“My journey has taken me through hell and back. It’s all in my music—the parties, the pain, the oversized ego, the insane obsessions.” Rick James
On August 6, 2004, Rick James was found dead by his caretaker in his home in Los Angeles California after suffering from pulmonary failure and cardiac failure with his various health conditions of diabetes, stroke, a pacemaker, and a heart attack. Although drugs was found in his system during the autopsy they were ruled out as a factor in which resulted in his
death.