BIOGRAPHY
Jimmy is born in 1941 in north of Florida.
His grandfather is no ordinary man. He is black Seminole Indian and a preacher.
This temperate man teaches him, among many ideals, the value of determination.The young boy will never forget it.
AN OLD RED RADIO
magic gift from his aunt, causes a kind of revolution in the family home... Jimmy listens to it without respite.
Firstly, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, singing spirituals and playing guitar like Jimi Hendrix... and then it is Johnny Ace, Jesse Belvin, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson ... This is the birth of R&B. And this is a revelation!
Against all odds and family advice, he definitely wants to play his life thru music, dreaming to make his own way with that freedom of expression.
Then one day...
A trumpet he vows to master.
Moving to Columbus (Ohio), finishing university, it is then the beginning of an “amazing journey”.
First shows with the Carl Salle band, discovering Boston and finally staying there with long term contracts; later in the US army, joining the Fort Jackson Army Band.
Jimmy was happy trumpeter in the backing band until seeing it was the singer out front who was getting all the girls!
And he has the charisma and the voice for it
A 3 ½-4 OCTAVE RANGE!
For Jimmy, the very act of singing invokes forces beyond the mundname realms of the everyday.
He reveals that his inspiration did indeed begin in God's house, which he attended regularly in his youth. "The influence of church or gospel music is more than just religious. It is spiritual. It speaks to the human spirit... "That's how I want to sing."
His first ever single was “Susie’s Gone” with Sue Records in 1963.
Aiming to express his own feelings, he learns guitar and basic chords to write songs.
Following up with several more singles and a first self titled album on Oracle, his own label.
A TRUMPET COMES BACK FROM SCHOOL
Attracted by all he heard about the "buzzing" London of the late 60’s – early 70’s,he opens a new door going there to release “If You Let Me” in 1969.
Jimmy discovers a free atmosphere where anything can happen,
where any dream can come true.
Intuition is quickly confirmed because Jimmy needed just one session in Majestic studios to impress and inspire John Worth who took him
directly to Essex Music to sign with Fly/Cube Records.
The forever famous "Gonna Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse" (his 2nd track released on that label) changed his life and made his name peaking at N°8 in march 1973.
A rich and fruitful collaboration, singles following one after another,
showing each time Jimmy's B side compositions and leading to an album (compilation of all his recordings from 72 to 75) released in 1975.
This same year, he also recorded a new album “Songs I Sing” including the film Black Joy’s soundtrack with Pye Records.
Editing is still in progress...
Update is coming soon!!