The nephew of the legendary Melvin Franklin, of The Temptations, Rick James rose up from domestic abuse and several brushes with the law. One of eight children to James & Mabel Johnson, Rick joined the Navy Reserve in hopes of avoiding being drafted into the Vietnam War. Upon being drafted anyway, Rick went AWOL & fled to Canada-then London. During those times, he collaborated with iconic talents such as Neil Young and Goldie McJohn (Steppenwolf). The future Rick James would eventually return to The US, serve some brief jail time for draft evasion, and release his solo debut "Come And Get It" on Motown in 1978. The album sold two million copies, and featured the hits “Mary Jane” and “You & I.” The following year he would drop two albums, starting that January with “Bustin' Out of L Seven,” and then that October’s “Fire It Up.” In 1980 he released “garden Of Love,” but it was 1981’s “Street Songs” that launched him into superstardom. Featuring classics like “Give It To Me Baby,” “Ghetto Life,” “Super Freak,” and “Fire And Desire,” Rick James had finally arrived on the mountaintop he had long dreamed of. Rick’s sting of success continues with 1982’s “Throwin’ Down” and 1983’s “Cold Blooded.” Two favorites, that stand out from those joints would be “Standing On The Top” & “Ebony Eyes” respectively. During this time Rick formed The Mary Jane Girls, and his collaborations with Teena Marie, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & Eddie Murphy are still talked about to this very day. Changing times, drug abuse, and the rise of Prince & Michael Jackson would hamper the next decade of Rick’s career; but he never stopped making music. True music lovers will never EVER forget him; and current generations would be well served in taking time to study his contributions to music. Today we remember and celebrate you Rick James. And Everyday Too…
http://www.rickjames.com/bio.php
https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2005-Fo-La/James-Rick.html
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