James' Beginnings
"Making music gives me an opportunity to capture all the things I'm about. We picked the album title What I Live To Do, because its true! If you listen to this record, all those songs are different parts of me, who I am and what I'm about. It's family, fun, relationships with other people, believing in something. Whatever your beliefs are, believing in something is important because it gives you something to hold onto. Hopefully people'll know you can have sound values and a good time all at once. At least, that's what it's about for me..."
James Bonamy's Epic debut What I Live To Do has a focus as simple and direct as it sounds. For the 25-year-old Florida-born and raised artist, solid values and savoring life aren't mutually exclusive. Indeed, they're the things that make it all come together -- and those values are the one thing you can hang onto when the party's over.
The son of a car dealer and a housewife, the dark haired musician and his older brother were raised as part of a close knit extended family in Daytona Beach. His father was his first and most meaningful influence -- taking James along with him in his truck and introducing him to the sonic pleasures of both hard-core honky tonkers Johnny Paycheck, Bobby Bare, Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley and smoother, classic country vocalists Conway Twitty, Charlie Rich, Merle Haggard, George Jones and George Strait's earliest, career-building hits.
"When you hear your dad and his friends cranking up those songs, it makes a real impression", Bonamy says earnestly. "I loved being one of the guys, with Dad and his pals listening to music."
In high school, the likable youngster's focus was more on sports than music. He earned four letters each year, playing football, soccer, tennis and track. He also caved in a bit to peer pressure, checking out the arena rock of the day by learning to play songs like Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive" and Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on guitar.
"The thing about a lot of that music is how similar it was to country", Bonamy now laughs. "The songs are laid out the same, and what they're saying is pretty close, too. But in the end, it's country music I was raised on, so that's the music I came back to."
Spending his freshman year at the University of Alabama, where his brother was playing football, it became obvious music was where his heart truly was. Though he's always sung around the house, it was the opportunity to sing on "The Country Boy Eddie Show" in Birmingham that put the pieces of Bonamy's destiny together.
"I had to get up at 2:30 a.m. for a 3:30 a.m. audition for the show, which went on the air at 4:30 in the morning", Bonamy says, recalling his big break. "It went on the air and they gave the farm reports, that kind of thing. And some of the people told me that Tammy Wynette started there when she was doing hair in Birmingham."
Quitting school to work at Orlando's famed Church Street Station historical district, Bonamy paid his bills working in the gift shop and paid his dues singing with the house band whenever they'd let him. A strong audition for the people at Opryland led to a slot in one of the park's reviews that summer -- and James Bonamy was headed to Music City.
Once he arrived in Nashville, he immersed himself in music. He also met a like-minded young woman from East Texas named Amy Jane. Though she was engaged to a boy from back home when they met, a strong friendship developed. Out of that, both came to realize they were each other's life mate -- and Bonamy was in the right place when Amy Jane realized that if she went back to Texas, her musical dreams would be over forever.
Today they are a happily married and devoted couple.
"It's funny", Bonamy says of his romantic twist of fate. "I never thought I'd be married at this age. But when you meet the one, you know. Its a strange feeling to be so sure about something. But the more I got to know Amy Jane, the more certain I became. And in loving her, I think I've learned a lot about myself and my life."
For Bonamy, music is an intimate way to connect with a lot of people, because "when you sing about little things or things between two people, it may be specific, but there's an awful lot we all have in common. That's what I'm reaching for: things that are true to me, my life and my feelings, but that other people have probably felt as well."
To hear Bonamy sing songs like "Amy Jane", "All I Do Is Love Her" or "The Couple" is to understand the depths of most peoples emotions. Those songs, coupled with the jaunty "Devil Goes Fishing" and modern day tale of "Jimmy and Jesus", highlight the fact that there's still a segment of the populace who doesn't serve as fodder for the nightly news and shocking talk show episodes.
That doesn't make them pinched, judgmental or prudish, either. They're as quick to whoop it up to "Heartbreak School" with its rubber backbeat as they are to reach for the one they love during the sweetly poignant "I Don't Think I Will". It's for those people -- and anyone who believes in respecting themselves and others -- that James Bonamy's music will have the most impact.
It may make his music seem a whole lot older than the 25-year old's face implies, but James Bonamy isn't such a contradiction. There are plenty of young people just like him, and they're ready to rollick to "Dog On A Tool Box" just as easily as they'll nod knowingly to "The Couple".
This kind of balance in a young artist's music is rare. But to be so integrated also speaks volumes about where James Bonamy is coming from. He understands that for all the fun in the world, it means nothing if you don't have a solid foundation to work from. For Bonamy, that foundation is the root of his music. For all people -- young and old --who want to believe there's more to life than burning down the honky tonks and abandoning one's obligations, James Bonamy is a sigh of relief.
While he's not one to judge, he has a clear sense of who he is and what matters to him. He knows being cool doesn't mean being a rebel, but being at peace with who you are -- and that's something James Bonamy does without even thinking.
James' Thoughts on Roots and Wings
"In life, I believe we take our experiences and use them to build a foundation that gives us the strength to grow. It certainly relates to all the experiences I've had over the last year, the lessons I've learned. The roots I've put down from being on the road, meeting people coupled with the values my parents and family gave me are allowing me to fly and seek my dream. And that's what it's all about for me."
If James Bonamy has proved one thing since appearing on the country music horizon with What I Live To Do, his Epic debut, it's how in sync one person's heart and soul can be with their music. In a genre filled with acts making hit-driven music, the Florida-born artist has remained committed to adding that extra dimension to the songs he records -- and in the process, songs like his #1 smash "I Don't Think I Will" struck a chord with country music lovers across the nation.
"Taking my music on the road gave me a chance to connect with people in a way I couldn't even imagine," Bonamy explains. "When you stand in those autograph lines and have people come up to you and tell you these powerful stories about how something you recorded affected them, it's humbling. And you don't always know what to say.
"When we were recording What I Live To Do, I was looking for songs that represented the different aspects of who I am. But when I got out there, I was shocked to see how many people care about the same things I do -- the silly stuff as much as those heartfelt ballads.
"So when it came time to start recording Roots And Wings, the stakes for me were higher. I'd seen directly how important the songs were to people, so I wanted to make a commitment to the fans as well as myself. I think all the people at the label really went out of their way to help me find those really special songs that I wanted.
"There's a lot of competition for material. But there are great songs out there, if you're willing to take the time to really think about what you want and be dedicated to finding those things. I think we did."
Certainly Roots And Wings shows a great deal of growth for Bonamy. There's a new confidence that's evident as he tackles some emotionally complex ballads -- the achingly vulnerable "Naked To The Pain," the powerful definition of what love should be "When God Dreams" -- with a passion that burns.
And there's also a diversity at work on Roots And Wings that reflects the breadth of both Bonamy's personal taste and his longtime love of country music. From the hardcore traditionalism of the steel-drenched tale of faltering and redemption "Daddy Never Had A Chance" to the Conway Twitty-esque soul country of "Little Blue Dot" and even the raucous twang of the turbo-billy "The Swing" and the loose-jointed blue collar jauntiness of "As Long As I Got You," James Bonamy explores all kinds of country with a joy that's positively infectious.
"Growing up in Daytona hanging around the dirt tracks with my dad, country music was the stuff -- and I gotta tell you, I loved it," Bonamy laughs. "Sure, I listened to some rock as a teenager, but there's something about the way country music just always went for it -- whether it was whooping it up or just being honest about telling someone you cared -- that got me.
"You know, the kids at school used to call me 'Redneck,' but I didn't care. I knew what I liked, and I wasn't not gonna like it because some kids didn't. I've never been much of a follower, so I certainly wouldn't give up on something I liked so much."
It's that commitment to himself that's allowed Bonamy to continue to grow, in spite of the encroaching demands of being an emergent star. Not only did he find himself juggling a mass of commitments, ranging from maintaining his relationship with radio, concert promoters and the fans, but he also found the time to be profiled in a two-page People magazine spread and on "Entertainment Tonight" as the Hot New Country Male, perform "I Don't Think I Will" on "Live With Regis & Kathie Lee" and being nominated by the Academy of Country Music as their Top New Male Artist.
But it remains, first and foremost, the music.
"What was so exciting about this album is how much more I knew going in! I'd been through the studio process last time and was really trying to learn how to make the most out of that environment. Just as importantly, I'd spent the last year and a half on the road singing for people, really learning a lot about my voice, how to reach inside myself and draw on the things I feel and then share that with people in a way that they get it, too.
"One night when my dad was out on the road with us, I decided to sing him 'That's My Job,' one of our favorite Conway Twitty songs -- and since the band didn't know it, I did it with just me and my guitar. To be standing in a honky tonk with just you and your guitar, it's a little scary...but there's something about that connection that's so direct. You get right inside people, which showed me how far people are willing to go.
"That's what set the standard for Roots And Wings, knowing that people are not only willing, but want to hear those kinds of things. That gave me a much better sense of what I wanted to say this time and what I wanted this album to be. Like the last one, it's still about who I am and what I believe in life. But it digs a little deeper and shows a more complex set of emotions.
"When I first heard Roots And Wings, I was so in love with everything that song was trying to say that I started doing it in the show -- and it really stood out. Whenever I'd play it, and again it was just me and my acoustic guitar, people would really respond. They'd come up to me in the autograph lines and ask how they could buy it -- and I'd say we were thinking about recording it.
"When you see a song being as important to other people as it is to you, it reminds you of that bigger reason for doing this."
While the 25-year-old singer has always been interested in dealing with what lies in people's hearts, he's also always been one for having a good time. It's a facet of his personality that's certainly evident in his stage show, just as it's been a large part of his song selection process.
"Who doesn't want to have a good time?" he says with a laugh. "I know I do. There are so many records I love just because they make me smile or laugh or stomp. To me, that's one of the other great things about music: it's ability to take you somewhere else, to get you into a happy place. If I can help get somebody's Friday or Saturday night off to a great start, that's cool! That's why I'm doing it."
Among the other growth points for Bonamy on Roots And Wings is his debut as a songwriter with the revved-up romp "I Knew I'd Need My Heart Someday." The raver tackles the limitless extent of young love in terms that are, in no uncertain terms, Bonamy's own. As he leans into the outright confessions of "I didn't have to climb the water tower and paint your name in cherry bomb red" and "standing in the pouring rain, singing 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Sweet Home Alabama'," it's obvious James Bonamy is a boy eat up with the whole populist romantic lexicon.
Grinning Bonamy confesses, "Yup, I'm a good ole boy. I can't say that I've done all those things, but let me tell you they're not beyond me. I did some pretty crazy things to let my wife know how I felt...and I think that's part of the fun of it.
"You know, the whole love thing can be pretty exciting and fun. Sure, it's deep and meaningful, but it's pretty nuts, too."
Balancing those two aesthetics is what sets James Bonamy apart. He recognizes the inherent dichotomy in us all -- and lives to embrace both parts of who people are. Sure, he can stomp and rave with the best of 'em, but he's also not afraid to expose the part of him that feels.
"If you're being honest about what the songs need, it's all there. Different songs are like different people, they all need different things. When you start to accept people and situations on their own terms and respect them for what they are, that's when life become rich. At least, that's one of the bigger lessons I've learned this year.
"Take a song like 'The Swing.' It's basically a story, but one that's got a lot of excitement because you can't help getting caught up in it, the way the words fall and the incredible playing. You put it next to a song that has a huge passion like 'Naked To The Pain,' then you get a sense of how broad the spectrum can be.
"I mean, it took a lot to get the performance of 'Naked To The Pain,' because it was very vulnerable. But it was a strong emotion and as long as you were willing to make the commitment to go there emotionally, it's so powerful, it holds its own.
"Listening to all these songs together, they couldn't be more different. You have the wounded ache of 'Naked To The Pain' and that real classic country of 'Daddy Never Had A Chance' all the way to the more rocking stuff like 'I Knew I'd Need My Heart Someday.' But that's all of who I am, and it's a lot of the people I've met, too.
"To be able to grow musically like this, to reach out even further in terms of the playing, the singing and the emotions and still have all these elements work together, well, that's what growth is.
"It's truly what having roots and wings is all about."
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/3600/frames/frame.html
