| First Name | Rick |
| Last Name | James |
| Full Name at Birth | James Ambrose Johnson Jr. |
| Alternative Name | The King of Punk Funk, Big Jimmy, Jimmy "The Whale", Ricky James Matthews, Slick Rick, James Ambrose Johnson Jr., Rick James, Ricky Matthews |
| Birthday | 1st February, 1948 |
| Birthplace | Buffalo, New York, USA |
| Died | 6th August, 2004 |
| Place of Death | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Cause of Death | Pulmonary failure and cardiac failure, associated with his various health conditions of diabetes, a stroke, pacemaker, and heart attack |
| Buried | Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie County, New York, USA |
| Height | 5' 11¼" (181 cm) |
| Build | Average |
| Eye Color | Brown - Dark |
| Hair Color | Brown - Dark |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Ethnicity | Multiracial |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | Bennett High School, Buffalo, New York, USA |
| Occupation Text | Singer, songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, bandleader, record producer, arranger |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Claim to Fame | his hit songs such as “Super Freak,” “Give it to Me Baby,” and “Mary Jane,” in addition to his popularity due to an extremely popular and referenceable episode of Dave Chappelle's Comedy Central satirical comedy sketch series Chappelle's Show, portraying the mischief he got into with the late comedian, actor, and writer Charlie Murphy |
| Music Genre (Text) | Rock, P-Funk, Disco, Doo-Wop, Funk, Quiet Storm, Soul, R&B, Funk Rock, Dance-Punk, Funk Rockrock Doo-Wop |
| Music Genre | R&B |
| Year(s) Active | 1964–2004, 1964–1993, 1996-1998, 2004, 1964–1993, 1996–1998, 2004, 1965–1998, 2004, 1965-1990, 1996–2004, 1965–1990, 1996–1998, 2004, 1965–1990, 1996–1998, 2004 |
| Music Style | Funk, Urban, Quiet Storm, Pop/Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock |
| Music Mood | Party/Celebratory, Carefree, Summery, Sexual, Exuberant, Cheerful, Happy, Joyous, Confident, Sexy, Playful |
| Instrument | Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals |
| Instrument (text) | Vocals, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Other Percussion Instruments, Bass Guitar, Percussion |
| Record Label | Gordy Records, Reprise Records, Mercury Records, A&M Records, Gordy, Reprise, A&M, Mercury |
| Associated Acts | The Mynah Birds, Stone City Band, Heaven and Earth, Mary Jane Girls, Process and the Doo Rags, Neil Young and Val Young, Eddie Murphy, Teena Marie, Snoop Dogg, Val Young, Teena Marie, Smokey Robinson, Neil Young, Prince, Smokey Robinson |
| Brand Endorsement | TV commercial: Old Navy clothes. |
| Official Websites | www.rickjames.com, www.nndb.com/people/167/000025092/, www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9276693, http://www.rickjames.com/, http://www.rickjames.com |
| Friend | Grace Jones, Smokey Robinson |
| Pets | Ganga (Dog) |
James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in his teen years. He was in various bands before entering the U.S. Navy Reserve to avoid being drafted into the army. In 1964, James deserted to Toronto, Canada, where he formed the rock band the Mynah Birds, who eventually signed a recording deal with Motown Records in 1966. James' career with the group halted after military authorities discovered his whereabouts and eventually convicted and sentenced James to a one-year prison term related to the desertion charges. After being released, James moved to California, where he started a variety of rock and funk groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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