Jimmy Castor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmy Castor
Castor in 1972
Background information
Birth name	James Walter Castor
Born	(1940-01-23)January 23, 1940 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Died	January 16, 2012(2012-01-16) (aged 71) Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	Soul, R&B, funk
Instruments	Saxophone, Percussion
Associated acts	The Teenagers The Jimmy Castor Bunch

James Walter Castor (born January 23, 1940 – died January 16, 2012) was an American musician. He was known for his funk, R&B, and soul music. Jimmy Castor sang, played the saxophone, and wrote songs.

He is famous for songs like "It's Just Begun" and "The Bertha Butt Boogie." His biggest hit song was "Troglodyte (Cave Man)," which sold over a million copies. The BBC once called Castor "one of the most sampled artists in music history." This means many other musicians used parts of his songs in their own music.

Jimmy Castor's Music Career

Jimmy Castor was born in Manhattan, New York. He started a music group called Jimmy and the Juniors in 1956. They recorded a song called "I Promise to Remember." Later, he joined a famous doo-wop group called The Teenagers.

Becoming a Solo Artist

In late 1966, Jimmy Castor released a song called "Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You." This song became popular.

In the 1970s, Castor became a solo artist. He also led his own band, called The Jimmy Castor Bunch (TJCB). They released many successful albums and singles.

The Success of It's Just Begun

The Jimmy Castor Bunch had their biggest success in 1972. This was when they released their album, It's Just Begun. This album had two hit songs. One was the title track, "It's Just Begun." The other was "Troglodyte (Cave Man)."

"Troglodyte (Cave Man)" became very popular in the United States. It reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. The song stayed on the chart for 14 weeks. In June 1972, it earned a gold disc award. This award is given for selling a million copies.

In 1973, Jimmy Castor recorded a saxophone version of "A Whiter Shade of Pale." This song was originally by Procol Harum. A famous DJ named Afrika Bambaataa said that "It's Just Begun" was very popular at parties in the South Bronx in the 1970s. Later popular songs by Castor included "Bertha Butt Boogie" and "King Kong."

The Jimmy Castor Bunch Band Members

The Jimmy Castor Bunch had several talented musicians. These included Gerry Thomas on keyboards and trumpet. Doug Gibson played bass, and Harry Jensen played guitar. Lenny Fridle, Jr. played conga drums, and Bobby Manigault was the drummer. Gerry Thomas later joined another band called the Fatback Band.

Jimmy Castor's Legacy

Jimmy Castor passed away on January 16, 2012. He died in Henderson, Nevada, just before his 72nd birthday.

Many of his band's songs have been used by other artists. This is called sampling. His music has been sampled in movies and in hip-hop songs. For example, the saxophone part from "It's Just Begun" is very popular. Ice-T used it for his 1988 album Power.

Also, the spoken words and music from "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" are often sampled. You might hear phrases like "What we're gonna do right here is go back..." or "Gotta find a woman, gotta find a woman."

Jimmy Castor's Family

Jimmy Castor had a son named J-Cast. His son chose his stage name using parts of his father's name: "J" from Jimmy and "Cast" from Castor. J-Cast released an album called J-Cast for President in 2009. This album was popular in Japan.

Discography

Here are the albums and singles released by Jimmy Castor and The Jimmy Castor Bunch.

Albums

Chart Singles

Note: All songs are by The Jimmy Castor Bunch unless stated otherwise.