- White Jimmy
Infobox Musical artist
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Name = White Jimmy
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = James Reginald White
Alias = White Jimmy
Born = birth date and age|1959|1|11New York City, New York , U.S.
Died =
Instrument =Vocals
Genre =
Occupation =Vocalist ,Songwriter ,Musician
Years_active = 1978 - present
Label =Slash Records Def American Sunburn Record Co. SST Records Reprise
Associated_acts =The Deadweights
URL =
Notable_instruments =White Jimmy (born James Reginald White,
January 11 ,1959 inNew York City, New York ) [ [http://artists.letssingit.com/deadweights-the-zskq9/biography Deadweights, The biography ] ] is the lead singer of the Americanpunk rock bandThe Deadweights , and a solopunk rock /alternative rock artist.Early years
James White was born in
New York City to an Italian father and Irish/British mother. He grew up in a mixed neighborhood, but went to the public schools which were mostlyAfrican American , and gained the nickname White Jimmy there. He never took it as racist, and has used it as a moniker his entire life since then. In the 1970s, he became a fan of proto punk bandNew York Dolls , and seminal punk bandThe Ramones , and began singing in a punk rock band. In 1978, he andEddie Urland formedThe Deadweights .Time in The Deadweights
Throughout his time in The Deadweights' original run, he penned most of the lyrics and came up with some of the music. He became an
alcoholic and also became addicted toheroin . By 1987, the band was constantly fighting, and Jimmy overdosed twice between the band's breakup and his final stint in rehab in 1988.olo career
In 1988, he gained the attention of
Rick Rubin , head ofDef American records, and signed with the label as a solo artist. He released his solo debut,Missing Mindstates , onJune 6 ,1989 . He had a hit onModern Rock radio with the song "The Fallen One". After touring for the album, he took a break from the music business.In 1991 he left
Def American and signed withSST Records , an independent label, and began work on a second solo album. The album was produced bySpot , who producedThe Deadweights ' 1985 album Crisis. The album, titledTry and Try Again , was releasedApril 27 ,1992 . The album found some success amongst the alternative rock explosion ofGrunge . In 1993, he started his own independent label,Sunburn Record Co . In 1994, he released a collection of B-sides,Back Roads and Dusty Trails .Return to The Deadweights
In 1995, The Deadweights reunited, and he has continued to work with them. His last solo release, 2000's , was a self released effort which included appearances from members of The Deadweights. Since then, he has also produced for numerous artists.
Personal life
White Jimmy is currently married to
Jen Foss , an artist fromPennsylvania . He has no kids and has no interest in having any. He was previously married to a woman named Ally in the 1990s.He is known for his eccentric appearance, specifically his now grey spikes. In the 1980s, he had blonde hair but as it lost its color with age, he left it the way it is. He is also known for wearing sunglasses and having a
nose ring .He is the owner and CEO of
Sunburn Record Co. , his independent record label.Politics
White Jimmy has been a lifelong outspoken critic of American government, and has always been strongly opposed to many of its instillments. In 1985, he was investigated by the
FBI for statements on the album Crisis. He is currently against the Bush Administration and strongly opposes thewar in Iraq , calling it "a senseless bloodbath in support of oil, greed, and retribution".Discography
with
The Deadweights *
First Wave Complete Destruction - 1981
* The Deadweights - 1983
* Crisis - 1985
*Prophecies of Beautiful Regression - 1987
* Recalled to Life - 1997
* Animosity - 2002
*From the Age of Doublethink - 2008olo albums
olo singles
External links
* [http://www.sunburnmusic.com Sunburn Records website]
* [http://myspace.com/whitejimmy11 White Jimmy at Myspace]References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
