Rick James (1948-2004) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and musician who had a net worth of $35 million. His real name is James Ambrose Johnson Jr. He was born in Buffalo, New-York, in 1948 and died due to Pulmonary failure & Cardiac failure on 6 August 2004 at the age of 56.
Rick is popular for his Street Songs album. In this album, he included his career-best songs Give It to Me Baby, Super Freak. Besides, he gained further popularity for his soulful ballades Ebony Eyes, Fire & Desire. Moreover, his Come Get It album includes his super-hit songs You & I, Mary Jane.
In 1982, he received the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album for his popular Street Songs album. In 1996, he became a part of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
Rick James: At a Glance
| Full Name | James Ambrose Johnson Jr. |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of Birth | 1 February 1948 |
| Birth Place | Buffalo, New-York, U.S. |
| Died | 6 August 2004 |
| Height | 5ft 11in (1.81m) |
| Spouse | Tanya Hijazi, Kelly Misener |
| Children | 4 |
| Profession | Singer, Song-Writer, Record Producer |
| Nationality | American |
| Net Worth | $35 million |
Early Life
1st February 1948, Rick James was born in Buffalo, New-York, the U.S. At the age of 10, his father left their family. His mother was a dancer and worked in the numbers-runner to maintain the family cost.
Talk about education, Rick went to Orchard Park High School & Bennett High School. At an early age, he was involved in drug addiction. After jail, he entered the U.S. Navy. At that time, he became a drummer for a local Jazz group.
Career
Rick James fled to Toronto after working in U.S. Navy. He was associated with many rock bands. In 1970, he appeared in the solo album The Cycle is complete. In 1974, he released his first single My Mama, dealing with A&M Records which initially became a club hit in Europe.
Later, he returned to Buffalo and formed the Stone City Band. James released his second single Get Up and Dance! at that time. In April 1978, he revealed his debut solo album Come Get It. This album earned huge popularity after enrolling the You & I song which was the top 20 hit song.
Besides, this album included the popular song Mary Jane which was eventually sold over two million copies! His third album Fire It Up gained RIAA certification. His fourth gold record was Garden of Love which was released in 1980.
Later, he signed with many record producers and released many popular hit albums. In 1991, he won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Besides, he gained the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album for his Street Songs album.
FAQs
From an early age, Rick James was associated with drug addiction. He started this addiction to marijuana and heroin. Later, he started taking cocaine. He had passed a long time in jail due to drug addiction.
This prominent American singer passed about five years and four months in a California prison. He had to suffer prison life mostly due to drug addiction and drug-induced attacks on women.
This rock singer died due to pulmonary failure & Cardiac failure on 6 August 2004 at the age of 56. He was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo situated in New York City, the U.S.
