Colin James facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colin James
Colin James in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Colin James Munn
Born	(1964-08-17) August 17, 1964 (age 60) Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Genres	Blues rock jump blues swing revival
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1986–present
Associated acts	The Hoodoo Men Don Freed

Colin James (born Colin James Munn; August 17, 1964) is a Canadian blues rock singer and songwriter. He is known for his amazing guitar playing and powerful voice. Colin James has been very successful in Canada. Many of his albums have sold a lot of copies, earning him seven Gold, four Platinum, and two Double Platinum awards.

Biography

Early years

Colin James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He started his music career early. When he was 19, he got a big chance to open for the famous blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1983. The original opening act didn't show up, so Colin had to quickly put together a set of blues songs.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was so impressed that he invited Colin to play with him during his show. Then, he asked Colin and his band, The Hoodoo Men, to open for him on several tour dates in the United States. It's said that Stevie Ray Vaughan even suggested Colin use "Colin James" as his stage name. He thought "Munn" sounded too much like "Mud" over the arena speakers!

Music career and achievements

In 1987, Colin James won an award for "Most Promising Artist." The next year, in 1988, he released his first album, Colin James. This album had many hit songs around the world. His next album, Sudden Stop, was also very popular.

Colin James was ahead of his time when he started his "Colin James and the Little Big Band" project in 1993. This project helped bring back swing music in the mid-1990s. He released several successful albums with this band, including a Christmas album in 2007.

Even though his worldwide fame changed a bit in the late 1990s, Colin kept making great music. He released albums in rock, blues, and acoustic styles. In 2005, he even performed for Queen Elizabeth II when she visited his home province of Saskatchewan!

Colin often plays with members of the band Odds. He has also written songs with their singer-guitarist, Craig Northey. In 2005, he appeared as a guest on the Canadian TV show Corner Gas.

In 2007, his album Limelight sold enough copies to earn a Gold record in Canada. In 2008, he won three Maple Blues Awards. These awards were for "Entertainer of the Year," "Electric Act of the Year," and "Recording of the Year" for his album Colin James & The Little Big Band 3.

In 2009, Colin recorded the album Rooftops and Satellites. His 2016 album, Blue Highways, was a huge hit. It stayed at number one on the Roots Music Report's Blues Chart for 10 weeks! His next album, Miles To Go, came out in 2018 and also did very well on blues charts in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.

Personal life

Colin James has been married to his wife Heather since 1989. They have two grown children. They live near Vancouver, Canada.

Discography

Studio albums

• Colin James (1988)
• Sudden Stop (1990)
• Colin James and the Little Big Band (1993)
• Bad Habits (1995)
• National Steel (1997)
• Colin James and the Little Big Band II (1998)
• Fuse (2000)
• Traveler (2003)
• Limelight (2005)
• Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 (2006)
• Colin James & The Little Big Band: Christmas (2007)
• Rooftops and Satellites (2009)
• Fifteen (2012)
• Hearts on Fire (2015)
• Blue Highways (2016)
• Miles to Go (2018)
• Open Road (2021)
• Chasing the Sun (2024)

Live albums

• Twenty Five Live (2013)

Compilation albums

• Then Again... (1995)
• Take It From The Top: The Best Of Colin James (2011)

Television appearance

Colin James made a short appearance on the Canadian TV show Corner Gas. This was in Season 2, episode 15, which first aired on February 21, 2005.

Awards and honours

Juno Awards

Colin James has been nominated for 17 Juno Awards, which are big music awards in Canada. He has won seven of them!

Wins

• 1989 – "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year"
• 1991 – "Single of the Year" for "Just Came Back"
• 1991 – "Male Vocalist of the Year"
• 1996 – "Male Vocalist of the Year"
• 1998 – "Best Blues Album" for National Steel
• 1999 – "Best Producer" for songs from Colin James and the Little Big Band II
• 2019 – "Blues Album of the Year" for "Miles to Go"
• 2022 – "Blues Album Of The Year" for “Open Road”

Nominations

Colin James has also been nominated for many other Juno Awards, including:

• "Canadian Entertainer of the Year" (three times)
• "Best Blues/Gospel Album"
• "Male Vocalist of the Year"
• "Best Video"
• "Best Blues Album" (multiple times)

Maple Blues Awards

Colin James has won and been nominated for 20 Maple Blues Awards. These awards celebrate the best in Canadian blues music. He received these awards between 1997 and 2018.

Other honours

In 2024, Colin James was made a member of the Order of British Columbia. This is a special award given to people who have done great things for the province of British Columbia.

See also

• Canadian blues
• Canadian rock
• Music of Canada