Jim Boyd (musician) facts for kids
Jim Boyd (born January 1, 1956 – died June 22, 2016) was a talented Native American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a member of The Jim Boyd Band, based on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington. Jim Boyd also played in several other music groups, including XIT, Greywolf, and Winterhawk. He was well-known for his work on the soundtrack for the 1998 movie Smoke Signals, where he performed four songs with lyrics written by Sherman Alexie. Jim Boyd also appeared in another movie by Sherman Alexie, called The Business of Fancydancing.
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Awards and Achievements
Jim Boyd was a highly recognized artist in Native American music. He won seven Native American Music Awards during his career. He also received a special Lifetime Achievement Award for all his amazing contributions to music.
Here are some of the awards he won:
- At the Second Annual Native American Music Awards, he won for the Smoke Signals soundtrack.
- At the Fifth Annual Awards, his album AlterNatives was named Record of the Year.
- The next year, he won Best Pop/Rock Recording for his album Live at the Met.
- At the Seventh Annual Awards, he received Record of the Year for Going to the Stick Games.
- He was named Songwriter of the Year at the Eighth Native American Music Awards for Them Old Guitars.
- He won Best Short Form Music Video for his song Inchelium at the Ninth Annual Awards.
- He received the important Artist of the Year Award at the Tenth Annual Native American Music Awards.
On November 14, 2014, Jim Boyd was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honored his outstanding work in Native American music. His wife, Shelly, and daughter, Stevey, were there to celebrate with him.
Jim Boyd's Music Journey
Jim Boyd's music career lasted for over 40 years. He was a musician, performer, songwriter, and producer. He worked on projects for big companies like Miramax and Warner Brothers. Jim Boyd released 15 albums during his life. Some of his albums include Reservation Bound, AlterNatives, Going to the Stick Games, and Bridge Creek Road. He also ran his own music company called Thunderwolf Records.
Jim Boyd toured all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. He performed with famous artists like Bonnie Raitt, The Indigo Girls, Joe Cocker, and Joan Baez. He also played at major music events such as The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and The Sundance Film Festival. He even appeared on the TV show CBS 60 Minutes.
Early Music Days
Jim Boyd started playing music when he was in junior high school. He played in his older brother's band, The Benzi Kriks. In 1968, his family moved back to the Colville Indian Reservation. There, he kept playing music with his friend Jerry Stensgar, who played bass guitar. By the age of 16, Jim was playing cover songs in bars.
When he was 23, Jim Boyd joined the band XIT as a guitar player. XIT was one of the first rock groups from Indian Country to become successful. Jim played with XIT for two years. He also appeared in a documentary about the band called XIT: Without Reservation. Later, Jim and XIT's bass player, Frank Diaz, started a new band called Greywolf. Jim continued to play with Greywolf for many years.
Becoming a Songwriter
In the early 1980s, Jim Boyd went to the Recording Workshop to learn about recording music. He didn't start writing his own songs until he was 30 years old. His songs often talked about Native American issues, but he used modern music styles.
Jim met Sherman Alexie at a folk festival. Sherman Alexie was making his first movie, Smoke Signals, and asked Jim to write songs for it. The first song Jim wrote, "Father and Farther," became a main theme for the movie. Sherman Alexie said that music was Jim's "voice" and that he was "more courageous, more passionate, more extroverted" through his music.
Jim Boyd's Albums
Jim Boyd had four songs featured in the movie Smoke Signals. These songs were also on the movie's soundtrack. He also recorded music for a book on tape called Indian Killer. Jim's songs covered many different music styles, from folk to country, rock, and blues. He was known for his thoughtful lyrics, great guitar riffs, and strong singing.
In 2001, Jim released AlterNatives, which won Record of the Year at the Native American Music Awards. He then released two live albums: Live At the Met (2002) and Kyo-t, LIVE (2003).
In 2005, Jim Boyd released Going to the Stick Games. This album was a tribute to a traditional game still played today. He mixed traditional Stick Game songs with modern music. Jim said it was also a tribute to Hidden Beach at Twin Lakes, Minnesota, where he used to play the game as a child.
His album Them Old Guitars (2005) included a song dedicated to his childhood friend and bandmate, Jerry Stensgar, who had passed away. In 2007, he released Blues to Bluegrass, which was called a "true American gem." This album helped him win Artist of the Year from the Native American Music Awards.
In 2010, Jim released Voices From The Lakes. This album had a more traditional sound, using cedar flutes and drums. The songs were inspired by the history of the Arrow Lakes People. In 2011, he released Harley High, a rock album recorded in Nashville. It showed his love for riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. In 2015, he released his last album, Bridge Creek Road.
Later Life
Jim Boyd passed away on June 22, 2016. At the time of his death, he was serving on the Colville Business Council, which is a leadership role for his community. He is remembered by his mother, Violet Boyd, his brothers Lanny and Michael, his sisters Pam, Luana and LaDonna, his wife Shelly, his sons Joel, Dakota, Brian and Michael Carson, his daughter Stevey Seymour, and his grandchildren and great-grandchild.
