I MET JAMES AT AN OPEN MIC NIGHT AT "LOS GATO'S IN NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA AROUND 1986. MY CLOSE FRIEND AND DRUMMER JIMMY MAGNARELLA WAS PLAYING WITH HIM AND ASKED ME TO COME UP AND SIT IN. WHEN I GOT THERE IT WAS QUITE A MESS. HE HAD NO PA SYSTEM. JUST A MIC PLUGGED IN TO HIS GUITAR AMP ALONG WITH HIS GUITAR SO YOU COULD ONLY GET ONE SETTING  FOR THE GUITAR AND MIC. HE ALSO WAS SO OUT OF TUNE THAT HE SOUNDED TERRIBLE. I WENT HOME AND GOT MY PORTABLE BOSE PA SYSTEM AND MY GUITAR STROBE TUNER AND AN HOUR LATER HAD JAMES SOUNDING SO MUCH BETTER THAT HE OFFERED ME A JOB IN HIS BAND. THEY ONLY PLAYED A FEW TIMES A MONTH SO THAT WAS OK WITH ME SINCE I HAD STARTED NIGHT SCHOOL MON-THURS. I WAS AVAILBLE ON WEEKENDS. HE HAD A REAL STRONG VOICE AND QUITE A NAME FOR HIMSELF AROUND THE TAMPA BAY FLORIDA AREA

I REMEMBER TRAVELING TO ORLANDO AREA FOR A BLUES SHOW AT A HILTON HOTEL THERE. AFTER THAT WE ONLY DID A FEW MORE GIGS WITH HIM BEFORE WE DETERMINED HE WASN'T FAIR WITH THE MONEY HE WAS SHARING. ONE NEW YEARS EVE WE PLAYED AND THE OWNER TOLD US HE DOUBLED OUR PAY FOR THAT NIGHT BUT JAMES JUST GAVE US $50 A PIECE AND WE CONFRONTED HIM HE SAID. "AIN'T NO WHITE BOY GONNA MAKE NO MORE THAN FIFTY DOLLARS PLAYING WITH ME SO NEED LESS TO SAY WE QUIT HIM THAT NIGHT AFTER IT WAS OVER. HE KEPT ON PLAYING SINCE HE DID OPEN MIC NIGHTS ALL AROUND TAMPA AND WAS ALWAYS ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE THAT WOULD PLAY FOR ONLY $50 ABOUT 6 YEARS LATER HE WAS PLAYING IN UPSTATE NEW YORK ACTUALLY ON TOUR WITH A FULL BAND AND I SURPRISED HIM, HE SMILED AT ME AND LAUGHED AND GAVE ME HIS GUITAR OFF HIS NECK AND I SAT IN WITH HIM THE REST OF THE NIGHT. IT WAS GOOD TO SEE HE WAS DOING ALRIGHT. ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I SAW ON THE INTERNET THAT JAMES HAD PASSED AWAY. HE WAS A REAL OLD TIMER WHO SANG THE BLUES FROM THE OLD SCHOOL.I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO PLAY WITH HIM WHEN I DID.