Boney James facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boney James
Boney James in 2013
Background information
Birth name	James Oppenheim
Born	(1961-09-01) September 1, 1961 (age 63) Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, contemporary jazz, R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Saxophone
Years active	1970s–present
Labels	Concord

Boney James (born James Oppenheim on September 1, 1961) is a famous American musician. He plays the saxophone, writes songs, and produces music.

He has been nominated for a Grammy Award four times. He also won a Soul Train Award for Best Jazz Album in 1998. Boney James has sold more than four million albums. Four of his albums have even gone Gold, meaning they sold over 500,000 copies!

In 2009, Billboard magazine called him one of the top three contemporary jazz artists of the decade. By 2024, Boney James made history. He became the first artist to have twenty number-one songs on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart.

About Boney James

Boney James started playing music at a young age. He learned the clarinet when he was eight. By age ten, he switched to the saxophone. He grew up in New Rochelle, New York, and loved the R&B music style called Motown. He was also inspired by the saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr..

When he was fourteen, his family moved to Los Angeles. There, he joined a band that played a mix of jazz and rock, called fusion music. His band even opened shows for famous groups like the Yellowjackets.

Early Career and Nickname

Boney James went to UCLA and earned a degree in history. But after college, he decided to play music full-time. He also learned to play keyboards. In 1985, he joined Morris Day's band. For seven years, he toured and played with many R&B artists. These included The Isley Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, and Teena Marie.

It was during a tour in 1986 that he got his famous nickname. A bandmate joked about his slim build, saying, "We'll have to start calling you 'Boney' James!" The name stuck!

Making Albums and Collaborations

In the early 1990s, Boney James met Paul Brown, a music engineer and producer. They worked together for ten years. In 1992, Boney James released his first album, Trust. It was a success! Because of this, he signed with Warner Brothers in 1994. .....

In 2000, he teamed up with trumpeter Rick Braun for an album called Shake it Up. They even made a new version of the classic song "Grazin' in the Grass". Boney James and Rick Braun often appear on each other's albums and have toured together many times.

Many other talented artists have also appeared on Boney James's records. Some of these include Lalah Hathaway, George Benson, George Duke, Al Jarreau, and Faith Evans.

Producing His Own Music

Boney James started helping produce his albums in 1997. By 2003, he became the main producer for his album Pure, which was nominated for a Grammy.

In 2006, he moved to Concord Records. His album Shine reached number 44 on the Billboard Pop Chart, which was his highest spot at the time. His 2009 album, Send One Your Love, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance. In 2013, his album The Beat was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Recent Achievements

In 2015, Boney James released futuresoul. This album was number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart for eleven weeks! It was also the best-selling contemporary jazz record of 2015. In August 2015, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for the first time.

His sixteenth album, Honestly, came out in 2017. It became his eleventh number-one album on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. It also reached number 22 on the Billboard Current Albums Chart, his highest pop chart debut ever.

In June 2020, he released his seventeenth album, Solid. He said it was "a reaction to how stressful the world feels these days. Music is a respite, it’s always ‘solid’ and never lets me down." This album broke his previous record, reaching number 10 on the Billboard Top Albums Chart. His eighteenth album, Detour, was released on September 23, 2022. His latest album, Slow Burn, came out in 2024.

Boney James is married to actress and director Lily Mariye. In 2012, he wrote music for her first movie, Model Minority.

Discography

• Trust (1992)
• Backbone (1994)
• Boney's Funky Christmas (1996)
• Sweet Thing (1997)
• Body Language (1999)
• Shake It Up with Rick Braun (2000)
• Ride (2001)
• Pure (2004)
• Shine (2006)
• Christmas Present (2007)
• Send One Your Love (2009)
• Contact (2011)
• The Beat (2013)
• Futuresoul (2015)
• Honestly (2017)
• Solid (2020)
• Detour (2022)
• Slow Burn (2024)

Number-one Songs

The songs listed below reached number one on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart.