Jimmy ‘Vagabond’ James passes at 84

LONDON:

Jamaican entertainer extraordinaire Michael James, better known as Jimmy James of The Vagabonds fame, passed away in London last week after a short illness.

According to his wife of many years, Paula James, Jimmy was admitted to Northwick Park Hospital, northwest London, with chest pains complications, and he stayed in there for two weeks prior to his passing on Tuesday, May 14. He was 84 years old.

Jimmy James was the lead vocalist in The Vagabonds, a band made up of Jamaican cabaret musicians and singers who included the late Count Prince Miller, Winston ‘Sparrow’ Martin, Philip ‘Philco’ Chen, Wallace Wilson, and Carl Griffiths. The group left Jamaica in 1964 and made a name for themselves in England.

Prior to leaving Jamaica, the band was a popular attraction on the Kingston live-show circuit during the early 1960s before moving to Britain. With James handling lead vocals, The Vagabonds recorded mainly at Studio One for producer Clement ‘Coxson’ Dodd. Some of their Studio One work, like the song I Don’t Wanna Cry still appears on compilation albums in Europe.

After The Vagabonds moved to London in 1964, they quickly signed to Pye Records, which was then home to a number of rising British singers, including Rod Stewart. The group became so popular in Britain that they later performed as opening act for Stewart, the Rolling Stones, and The Who.

With Jimmy singing lead, The Vagabonds scored a number of hit songs in Britain between the 1960s and 70s including a cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘ Red Red Wine’ in 1968 and the massive hit, ‘I’ll Go Where Your Music Takes Me’, which made the national charts in 1976.

Bassist Phil Chen, a former guitarist with The Vagabonds, would play bass with Stewart for several years. He played on the singer’s massive 1978 disco hit, Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?

The Vagabonds later recrafted their performances on American soul music and quickly established a fan base likened to a cult following. They worked with many established American stars including Solomon Burke, Patti LaBelle , Ben E King, and Sonny and Cher, among others.

WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC

James’ illustrious entertainment career spans over five decades, and with The Vagabonds, he toured the United Kingdom extensively, becoming the first-ever musical unit from the Western Hemisphere to entertain behind the Iron Curtain when they were invited to Hungary to perform a series of concerts. The many tours that followed were to countries such as Tunisia, Germany, Greece, France, Belgium, Holland, and others.

In the 1980s, he reformed the group with different personnel, and it became known as Jimmy James and The Vagabonds, performing on the cabaret circuit across Europe and was much in demand as a headliner on luxury cruise liners around the world.

He last performed in Jamaica in June 2022 at the ‘Bring Back the Love’ concert at the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston, which featured jazz singer Myrna Hague and legendary guitarist Ernie Ranglin.

Among those paying tribute following news of his passing is well-known UK-based reggae singer Winston Francis. He said: “What a shock it was to hear of the passing of one of Jamaica’s greatest entertainers, the Great Jimmy ‘Vagabond’ James.

“He left the shores of Jamaica for London and created history by taking popular music to another level and was still doing it up to the last few weeks before his passing. Thanks for your wonderful contribution to music Jimmy. You made this world a much better place.”

Saxophonist Lascelles James of Bone M fame said: “Jimmy James was an inspiration to us as musicians and singers. He was a class act on stage and a real professional at his craft. I never had a chance to work with him, but it was a pleasure to see him perform, and I used it as inspiration even today.”

A release from Jimmy James’ family said: “It is with deep sadness that we, the family of the legendary Jimmy James announce his peacefully passing on Tuesday, May 14. Those who knew Jimmy, either personally or professionally, were endeared by his effervescent and infectious smile, captivating charm, and, of course, his indistinguishable soulful voice.

“Jimmy is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, and cousins worldwide. We all mourn the loss of this beautiful soul as we celebrate his fulfilled and impactful life. He will be greatly missed.”