Colin James facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin James
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Colin James in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Colin James Munn |
| Born | August 17, 1964 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Associated acts |
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Colin James, whose full name is Colin James Munn, was born on August 17, 1964. He is a very talented Canadian singer and songwriter. He is best known for his blues rock music. Colin James has achieved great success in Canada. He has earned seven Gold-certified albums. This includes four Platinum albums and two Double Platinum albums. This means his music has sold millions of copies!
Contents
About Colin James
His Early Life
Colin James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He decided to leave school in Grade 10 to follow his passion for music. His big break came in 1983. He got to open a show for the famous guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan in Saskatoon. The original opening act couldn't make it. Colin had only a few hours to prepare a set of blues songs. He played with members of a local band called "Flying Colours."
Stevie Ray Vaughan was so impressed that he invited Colin to play with him during the encore. Then, he asked Colin to join his tour as a regular opening act. Colin and his band, The Hoodoo Men, opened for Vaughan on many tour dates in the United States. It's said that Stevie Ray Vaughan suggested the stage name "Colin James." He thought "Munn" sounded too much like "Mud" when announced over big arena speakers. Colin also played guitar on Richard Marx's song "Thunder and Lightning."
His Music Career
In 1987, Colin James won the CASBY Award for "Most Promising Artist." This award recognized him as a rising star. In 1988, after touring with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Colin released his first album. It was called Colin James. This album had several hit songs around the world. His next album, Sudden Stop, was also very popular.
Colin James was ahead of his time. In 1993, he started a project called Colin James and the Little Big Band. This project helped bring back swing music in the mid-1990s. Their first CD was a big hit. They released another successful album in 1998. A third album came out in 2006, and 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 performed for Queen Elizabeth II. This special performance happened when she visited his home province of Saskatchewan.
Colin's band often includes members from the Vancouver-based band Odds. He has also written songs with Odds singer-guitarist Craig Northey. In February 2005, Colin James appeared on the TV show Corner Gas. This was a Canadian comedy show set in rural Saskatchewan.
In 2007, Colin's album Limelight earned a Gold record in Canada. In January 2008, he won three Toronto Blues Society Maple Blues Awards. He was named "Entertainer of the Year" and "Electric Act of the Year." His album Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 won "Recording of the Year."
In 2009, Colin recorded the album Rooftops and Satellites. He worked with other musicians, including Junkhouse frontman Tom Wilson. The album was produced and mixed by Mike Fraser. It was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver. Rooftops and Satellites reached #69 on the Canadian Albums Chart.
His 2016 album Blue Highways was very successful. It stayed at No.1 on the Roots Music Report's Blues Chart for 10 weeks. It was also listed in Living Blues magazine's Top 50 albums that year. His next album, Miles To Go, came out in September 2018. It also received great reviews. It reached the top 10 blues charts in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
His Family Life
Colin James has been married to his wife, Heather, since 1989. They have two grown children. They live in a suburb of Vancouver.
Music Albums
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)
Guest Appearances
Colin James has also appeared on albums by other artists:
- Long John Baldry – It Still Ain't Easy (1991)
- Richard Marx – "Thunder and Lightning" (1991)
- The Chieftains – Another Country (1992)
- Johnny Hallyday – Rough Town (1994)
- The Chieftains – Long Black Veil (1995)
- Don Freed – Live, ARR! (1993; credited as Colin James Munn)
- Long John Baldry – Right To Sing The Blues (1996)
- JW-Jones Blues Band – My Kind of Evil (2004)
- Craig Northey and Jesse Valenzuela – Northey Valenzuela (2004)
- Bernard Allison – Highs & Lows (2022)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN |
US Main. Rock |
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| 1986 | "Five Long Years" (released by Bumstead Records) | — | — | Colin James | ||||||||
| 1988 | "Voodoo Thing" | 19 | 30 | |||||||||
| 1989 | "Dream of Satin" | 49 | — | |||||||||
| "Chicks 'n Cars (And the Third World War)" | 51 | — | ||||||||||
| "Five Long Years" (released by Virgin Records) | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Why'd You Lie" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Back in My Arms Again" | 80 | — | American Boyfriends (soundtrack) | |||||||||
| 1990 | "Just Came Back" | 5 | 7 | Sudden Stop | ||||||||
| "Keep On Loving Me Baby" | 35 | 21 | ||||||||||
| "If You Lean on Me" | 74 | — | ||||||||||
| "T for Trouble" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Give It Up" (with Bonnie Raitt) | 59 | — | ||||||||||
| 1992 | "Love Thang" | — | — | Colin James and the Little Big Band | ||||||||
| 1993 | "Cadillac Baby" | 18 | — | |||||||||
| 1994 | "Surely (I Love You)" | 19 | — | |||||||||
| "Breakin' Up the House" | 29 | — | ||||||||||
| "No More Doggin'" | 57 | — | ||||||||||
| 1995 | "Stay" | 26 | — | Then Again... | ||||||||
| "Freedom" | 18 | — | Bad Habits | |||||||||
| "Saviour" | 8 | — | ||||||||||
| 1996 | "Real Stuff" | 26 | — | |||||||||
| 1997 | "Fixin' to Die" | — | — | National Steel | ||||||||
| 1998 | "Let's Shout (Baby Work Out)" | 36 | — | Colin James and the Little Big Band II | ||||||||
| "C'mon with the C'mon" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2000 | "Hide" | — | — | Fuse | ||||||||
| "Getting Higher" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2003 | "I'm Losing You" | — | — | Traveler | ||||||||
| "Make a Mistake" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2004 | "Know How to Love You" | — | — | |||||||||
| 2005 | "Far Away Like a Radio" | — | — | Limelight | ||||||||
| "Better Way to Heaven" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Travelin'" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2006 | "Into the Mystic" | — | — | |||||||||
| "If You Need Me" | — | — | Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 | |||||||||
| 2009 | "Man's Gotta Be a Stone" | — | — | Rooftops and Satellites | ||||||||
| "Lost Again" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Wavelength" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2010 | "Johnny Coolman" | — | — | |||||||||
| 2011 | "It's Gonna Be Alright" | — | — | Take It From The Top: The Best Of Colin James | ||||||||
| 2012 | "Stone Faith" | — | — | Fifteen | ||||||||
| "I Need You Bad" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2015 | "Just a Little Love" | — | — | Hearts On Fire | ||||||||
| 2016 | "Going Down" | — | — | Blue Highways | ||||||||
| "Riding in the Moonlight" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2018 | "40 Light Years" | — | — | Miles to Go | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | ||||||||||||
Television Appearances
Colin James made a special appearance on the Canadian TV show Corner Gas. This was in Season 2, episode 15. The episode first aired on February 21, 2005.
Awards and Honours
Colin James has won many awards for his music.
Juno Awards
The Juno Awards are like the Grammy Awards for Canadian music. Colin James has been nominated for 17 Juno Awards. He has won seven of them!
Juno 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 "Let's Shout" and "C'mon with the C'mon" 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”
Juno Nominations
- 1989 – "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
- 1991 – "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
- 1992 – "Canadian Entertainer of the Year"
- 1994 – "Best Blues/Gospel Album" for Colin James and The Little Big Band
- 1995 – "Male Vocalist of the Year"
- 1996 – "Best Video" for "Freedom"
- 1998 – "Best Male Vocalist"
- 1999 – "Best Blues Album" for Colin James and The Little Big Band II
- 2007 – "Blues Album of the Year" for Colin James and The Little Big Band III
- 2013 – "Blues Album of the Year" for "Fifteen"
- 2017 – "Blues Album of the Year" for "Blue Highways"
- 2019 – "Blues Album Of The Year" for “Miles To Go”
- 2022 – "Blues Album of the Year" for “Open Road”
Maple Blues Awards
Colin James has also been nominated for, and won, 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 very high honour given to people who have done great things for the province of British Columbia.
See also
- Canadian blues
- Canadian rock
- Music of Canada
