Colin James

Six-time Juno award-winner Colin James has driven his 10-album, 25-year career with his blues influenced guitar mastery and soulful vocals. James was only 18-years old when he captured the attention of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, who marveled at the prodigious talent, decided to take him on the road through the Canadian prairies, and later the United States. It wasn't long after that the young musician began opening for the likes of John Lee Hooker, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood and Keith Richards, James was also the first to be signed to the Virgin America label, and his 1988 self-titled debut Colin James was the fastest-selling album in Canadian music history featuring the smash hits "Why'd You Lie?”, “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years". He followed up with the strong 1990 sophomore release, Sudden Stop, which featured the top three radio hit "Just Came Back". and has since maintained the integrity of a truly enduring artist. In 2008 he took home three Maple Blues Awards (Toronto Blues Society), which included Entertainer of the Year, while his release Limelight also went gold in Canada. James released his twelfth album Rooftops and Satellites on October 6th, 2009, and it is a return to his guitar Blues-Rock roots. The album was primarily co-written by Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings and Tawg Salter, co-writer and producer of Lights' debut and Josh Groban's Awake, and it has generated four Canadian radio singles, “Man’s Gotta Be A Stone”, “Lost Again”, “Wavelength” and “Johnny Coolman.” Over the years he was worked and toured with a 'who’s who' in the international music scene (in alphabetical order): Luther Allison, The Chieftains, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Tom Dowd, Buddy Guy, Johnny Hallyday, John Hammond Jr., Albert King, Bobby King and Terry Evans, Danny Kortchmar, Lenny Kravitz, Little Feat, The Memphis Horns, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Bob Rock, The Rolling Stones, Roomful Of Blues, Carlos Santana, Mavis Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and ZZ Top. In addition to writing his own material, his music has been recorded by artists like Maria Muldaur, Johnny Halliday and Lucinda Williams.