There is more than one artist with this name, including: 1) Jimmy James (died 2024) was a Jamaican R&B/soul singer remembered as vocalist for Jimmy James & The Vagabonds; 2) Jimmy James is American singer-songwriter James A. Fyke (born June 27, 1959); 3) Jimmy James is Ivorian rapper Koné Diarra Adama; 4) Jimmy James is American singer-songwriter James Jude Johnson. 1) Jimmy James (born Michael James on 13 September 1939; died 14 May 2024) was a Jamaican soul singer remembered for being lead singer of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds from the mid-1960s. Moving to the UK in 1964 and signing a recording contract with Pye Records, they released their best known studio album, The New Religion, in 1966. James is particularly remembered for his cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine". In the 1970s the band had hit singles in the UK Singles Chart with "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" and "Now Is The Time". 2) Jimmy James is American singer-songwriter James A. Fyke (born June 27, 1959). James originally played the bass in the rock band Tommy Tutone, later switching to guitar and drums and performing the role of band leader. He has played bass with Animotion, keyboards with Mike Tramp (White Lion), and guitar with Bad Company featuring Brian Howe. He has performed solo acoustic guitar throughout Europe, supporting acts such as Kip Winger and Eric Martin (Mr. Big). In his solo singer-songwriter career, he has released "All Talk / No Action" (1999) and "Solace in the Sun" (2015). 3) Jimmy James is Ivorian rapper Koné Diarra Adama. 4) Jimmy James is American singer-songwriter James Jude Johnson. James is originally from San Antonio, Texas, and now resides in New York City, where he performs regularly. As a child, James loved to escape into the world of variety television. Sonny & Cher, Flip Wilson, Carol Burnette and Johnny Carson were just some of the shows that influenced and inspired him. Even as a toddler he was always singing, dancing and dressing up in his mother´s clothes. His remarkable ability for vocal mimicry became apparent at a young age, his first imitation was the distinctive voice of Cher, a longtime idol of his. With dedicated practice on his own, James discovered that he could also accurately imitate the unmistakable voices of Eartha Kitt, Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and many others. Throughout high school, James studied the dramatic arts where he developed skills with theatrical makeup. Using his own face as a canvas, he realized that like his voice his looks could also be transformed. He began to notice similarities in his facial structure with that of the late screen legend Marilyn Monroe. He then set out to re-create her trademark look and breathy vocal presence. The results of his efforts were spectacular. The "resurrected" Marilyn was an instant hit at the drag-shows and dance clubs where he performed. It wasn't long before television talk show producers began to notice his talents. Through a steady stream of appearances on shows such as Donahue, Sally, Geraldo, Joan Rivers, Entertainment Tonight, CNN, Showtime and others, he gained incredible national and international exposure. Suddenly Jimmy´s one-man show- "Marilyn and Voices" -which he wrote and produced- was in high-demand worldwide. From New York to L.A., Provincetown to Atlantic City even as far as Europe, Asia and Australia Jimmy had a sellout smash which toured for several years. In addition to the touring, Jimmy was hired for a number of high-profile commercial ad campaigns. Eyewear manufacturer L.A. Eyeworks used a stunning image of Jimmys´ Marilyn in full-page ads that ran worldwide. The campaign was featured in the 20-year anniversary issue of Interview Magazine- a tribute to Andy Warhol. Another highly successful campaign was shot for Kenar, a women´s clothing manufacturer. The ad featured Jimmy as three of his divas: Marilyn, Bette Davis and Judy Garland posing with supermodel Linda Evangelista. The highlight of the campaign came when the ad electrified a giant billboard in the center of Times Square, New York City. Throughout his career Jimmy James has constantly evolved as an entertainer. By the mid-1990's he began to pursue a career as a recording artist in New York City by using his own soulful voice. A talented singer and songwriter, Jimmy has recently been signed to several dance record labels- domestically with Interhit Records/US, and internationally with Devox Records/Toshiba-EMI/Asia, Mushroom Records/Australia and Hi-Bias/Canada. His first single "Who Wants To Be Your Lover", -produced by the Berman Brothers with remixes by Eric Kupper, Chris Cox and DJ´s Rule- was released worldwide in early 1998.