Rick James

Rick James, born James Ambrose Johnson Jr. on February 1, 1948 in Buffalo, New York, was a flamboyant American singer, songwriter and record producer who reshaped funk and R&B in the late 1970s and 1980s. Raised in a large Catholic family and exposed early to church choirs, he fled the draft by joining the U.S. Naval Reserve, only to become a fugitive and serve time for desertion before moving to Toronto in 1964. There he formed the psychedelic rock group The Mynah Birds, secured a short‑lived Motown deal, and rubbed shoulders with future legends such as Neil Young, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. After a turbulent period of legal battles and assorted rock projects, James returned to Buffalo in 1976, assembled the Stone City Band and signed with Motown’s Gordy imprint. His debut solo album Come Get It! (1978) produced his first R&B hit “You and I,” while the 1981 masterpiece Street Songs delivered crossover classics “Super Freak,” “Give It to Me Baby,” and the sultry duet “Fire and Desire” with Teena Marie. James’s production prowess extended to the Mary Jane Girls, the Temptations, Eddie Murphy and many others, cementing his reputation as a prolific behind‑the‑scenes architect. Despite his musical triumphs, his career was marred by notorious excess, cocaine addiction, and a series of violent legal incidents that led to a three‑year prison sentence in the mid‑1990s. A surprise resurgence arrived in 2004 when a Chappelle’s Show sketch revived his catchphrase “I’m Rick James, bitch!” and sparked a brief tour before his untimely death from heart failure on August 6, 2004. His legacy endures through the enduring popularity of “Super Freak,” sampled by MC Hammer, and a posthumous cult following that celebrates his unapologetic blend of funk, rock, and raw personality.