James Hunter (born 2 October 1962) is an English R&B musician and soul singer.

Career

Hunter was born to a working-class family in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

. His early musical influences came from his grandmother's collection of

78rpm A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

records of

R'n'B Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

music. Before turning 10, Hunter had begun playing the guitar and singing His career began with a band called Howlin' Wilf and the Vee-Jays, who released their first album in 1986 entitled ''Cry Wilf''. Later he released three more with his own band. He spent much of the 1990s playing small clubs in London, such as the Weavers Pub in Islington (North London), and the

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

on Oxford Street in London. Hunter's soulful style drew the attention of

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, who appeared on Hunter's first album released on

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

, ''Believe What I Say'', in 1996. (Morrison sang

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

on "

Turn On Your Love Light "Turn On Your Love Light" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by Bobby Bland in 1961. It was both an important R&B and pop chart hit for Bland and has become one of his most identifiable songs. A variety of artists have recorded it, including th ...

" and "Ain't Nothing You Can Do".) Hunter's relationship with Morrison led to a tour with the latter in the early 1990s; he sang backing vocals on Morrison's 1994 live album, ''

A Night in San Francisco ''A Night in San Francisco'' is a live album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1994. Guest artists were Candy Dulfer, John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells and Jimmy Witherspoon as well as Morrison's daughter, Shana Morrison. ...

'', and his 1995 studio recording '' Days Like This''. Hunter's first solo release in the United States, his 2006 breakthrough album '' People Gonna Talk'', was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album was awarded from 1983 to 2011 and from 2017 onwards. Until 1992 the award was known as Best Traditional Blues Performance and was twice awarded to individual tracks rather than albums. The award w ...

at the 49th Grammy Awards ceremony. He parted ways with Rounder Records in 2008 and issued the album '' The Hard Way'' via Hear Music/Concord.

In popular culture

* His song "This Is Where We Came In" was featured in the '' Superstore'' episode "Christmas Eve". * His song "Chicken Switch" was featured in the ''

Sneaky Pete ''Sneaky Pete'' is an American crime drama series created by David Shore and Bryan Cranston. The series follows Marius Josipović (Giovanni Ribisi), a released convict who adopts the identity of his cellmate, Pete Murphy, to avoid his past life. ...

'' episode "Safe". * His song "'Til Your Fool Comes Home" was featured in the ''

Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...

'' episode "Duck and Cover".

Discography

Solo and as leader

Howlin' Wilf & The Veejays: * ''Howlin Wilf & the Vee-Jays,'' ''Cry Wilf!'' (1986) re-issued by

Big Beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as ...

(2002) * ''Blue Men Sing The Whites'' (mini LP) Waterfront WF 036 (1987) * Howlin' Wilf & The Vee-Jays, ''Unamerican Activities'' BRAVE 8 (1988/89) * ''6 By Six'' (six song mini album) Hound Dog BUT 004 (1990) James Hunter: * '' ...Believe What I Say'' (1996) Ace Records, appearances by

and

Doris Troy Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul". Her biggest hit was " Just One Look", a top 10 hit in 1963. Life and career She ...

* '' Kick it Around'' (1999)

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in ...

, produced by

Boz Boorer Martin James "Boz" Boorer (born 19 May 1962 in Edgware, Middlesex, England) is an English guitarist and producer most known for his work founding the new wave rockabilly group the Polecats; and later for his work as a co-writer, guitarist and m ...

* '' People Gonna Talk'' (2006)

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

* '' The Hard Way'' (2008)

Hear Music Hear Music was a record label that was founded in 2007 in a partnership between Concord Music Group and Starbucks. Hear Music began as a catalog company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1990 before being purchased by Starbucks in 1999. Conce ...

The James Hunter Six: * ''Minute By Minute'' (2013)

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

* ''Hold On!'' (2016), Daptone Records * ''Whatever It Takes'' (2018), Daptone Records * ''Nick of Time'' (2020), Daptone Records * ''With Love'' (2022), Daptone Records

Album appearances

* ''

'' (1994) with

* '' Days Like This'' (1995) with Van Morrison * ''

Live at KEXP Volume 5 KEXP-FM (90.3 Hertz, MHz) is a non-commercial Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to Seattle, Seattle, Washington, United States, specializing in alternative rock, alternative and indie rock programmed by its disc jockeys for the Seattle ...

'' Track 13: Hunter's "Don't Do Me No Favours" (Various Artists) (2009)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, James 1962 births Living people English male singers English rhythm and blues musicians Blues rock musicians English soul singers People from Colchester Van Morrison Rounder Records artists Daptone Records artists