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 is known for his smooth jazz and R&B style.

Boney James has been nominated for a Grammy Award four times. He also won a Soul Train Award for Best Jazz Album. He has sold over three million albums during his career. Four of his albums have even become "Gold Records." Billboard magazine called him one of the top jazz artists of the decade. In 2024, he made history by having twenty #1 songs on the Billboard SJ Chart.

About Boney James

Early Life and Music

James started playing the clarinet when he was eight years old. At age ten, he switched to the saxophone. He grew up in New Rochelle, New York, and loved R&B music. A saxophonist named Grover Washington, Jr. was a big influence on him.

When he was 14, his family moved to Los Angeles. There, he joined a band that played a mix of jazz and rock. This band even opened shows for famous groups like the Yellowjackets.

Becoming "Boney"

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

It was during a tour in 1986 that he got his famous nickname. A bandmate joked about his thin 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 producer Paul Brown. They worked together for ten years. In 1992, he released his first album, Trust.

He has worked with many other talented musicians. In 2000, he made an album called Shake it Up with trumpeter Rick Braun. They often play together and appear on each other's albums. Many other artists have also been guests on Boney's records. These include Lalah Hathaway, George Benson, and Al Jarreau.

Boney James started producing his own records in 1997. His 2003 album, Pure, was nominated for a Grammy. In 2006, he released Shine, which was very popular. His album Send One Your Love (2009) also got a Grammy nomination. In 2013, The Beat was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

In 2015, he released futuresoul. This album was #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart for eleven weeks. It was also the best-selling jazz record that year. In August 2015, Boney James appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

His sixteenth album, Honestly, came out in 2017. It became his eleventh #1 album on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. In 2020, he released Solid. He said this album was a way to find peace in a stressful world. It reached #10 on the Billboard Top Albums Chart. His most recent album, Detour, was released in 2022.

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)

Number-one Songs

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