Jim Diamond (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Diamond
Diamond in 1985
Background information
Birth name	James Aaron Diamond
Born	(1951-09-28)28 September 1951 Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland
Died	8 October 2015(2015-10-08) (aged 64) London, England
Genres	Pop rock, new wave, blue-eyed soul, synthpop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1969–2015
Labels	Bradleys, A&M, Teldec, PolyGram, Polydor, Righteous, River, Hypertension, Cherry Pop (Reissue label), Camino Records
Associated acts	The Method, Gully Foyle, Jade, Bandit, Bacco, PhD, Alexis Korner, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, Snake Davis

James Aaron Diamond (born 28 September 1951 – died 8 October 2015) was a Scottish singer and songwriter. He was famous for his powerful voice and several hit songs.

Jim Diamond had three songs that reached the top 5 on the music charts. One was "I Won't Let You Down" in 1982, which he sang with his band PhD. His solo songs, "I Should Have Known Better" (a UK No. 1 hit in 1984) and "Hi Ho Silver" (a No. 5 hit in 1986), were also very popular.

Early Music Journey

Jim Diamond was born in 1951 in Bridgeton, a part of Glasgow, Scotland. He started his music career when he was just 15 years old. His first band was called The Method.

When he was 16, he led another Glasgow band named Jade. This band played many shows in London in 1969. They even opened for the famous band The Move on their Scottish tour.

Later, a musician named Alexis Korner discovered Jim. Jim spent a few years singing with Korner's band. He added extra vocals to many of Korner's songs.

Forming New Bands

In 1976, Jim Diamond left Korner's band to start his own rock band called Bandit. Cliff Williams, who later joined AC/DC, was also in this band. Bandit signed with Arista Records and released an album, but it didn't become a big hit.

In 1979, Jim became the lead singer for a Japanese band named BACCO. Their first album was called Cha Cha Me. Jim then moved to Los Angeles, California, to form a band called Slick Diamond. He toured and recorded music, and even wrote lyrics for a film soundtrack.

Big Hits and Solo Success

In 1981, Jim Diamond formed a new band called PhD. The band's name came from the first letters of the members' last names: Phillips, Hymas, and Diamond. The other members were Tony Hymas (keyboard player) and Simon Phillips (drummer).

They signed with WEA Records. Their song "I Won't Let You Down" became a massive hit, selling millions of copies.

Going Solo

After PhD, Jim decided to start a solo career in 1984. He signed with A&M Records. His song "I Should Have Known Better" became a number-one hit in the UK. It was also a number-one hit in Latin America.

Jim had another big hit with "Hi Ho Silver" in 1986. This song was the theme music for a popular TV show called Boon. It reached No. 5 on the UK music charts.

Jim also sang on songs for two members of the band Genesis:

• "You Call This Victory" for Tony Banks in 1986.
• "Days of Long Ago" for Steve Hackett in 1999.

A collection of his best songs, called The Best of Jim Diamond, was released in 1999.

Later Years in Music

In the late 1990s, Jim Diamond worked with saxophonist Chris "Snake" Davis. They were known as The Blue Shoes.

In 2005, Jim released his first new album in eleven years, called Souled and Healed. Two songs from this album were "When You Turn" and "Blue Shoes." In 2009, he worked with Tony Hymas again to make a third PhD album, titled "Three."

Jim Diamond's last album, City of Soul, came out in 2011. It featured other musicians like Tommy Cunningham from Wet Wet Wet and Greg Kane from Hue and Cry. All the money from this album went to a children's charity called Radio Clyde Cash for Kids.

Personal Life and Passing

Jim Diamond married Christine Bailey in 1978. They had two children. Their son, Lawrence, is a keyboard player in the band Citizens!.

Jim Diamond passed away in his sleep on 8 October 2015, at the age of 64.

Music Albums

Solo Albums

Albums with PhD

Solo Singles

Charity Songs with Jim Diamond