Rick James

James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (1 February 1948 - 6 August 2004) also known as Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer. He was popular during the late 1970s and 1980s. He scored four number one hits on the US R&B charts. He was born in Buffalo, New York.

Rick James
Rick James on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in 1984
Born	James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (1948-02-01)February 1, 1948 Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Died	August 6, 2004(2004-08-06) (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Ricky Matthews
Occupations	Singer songwriter record producer
Years active	1964–2004
Spouse	Tanya Hijazi ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2002)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Funk R&B soul disco synth-funk punk-funk doo-wop
Instruments	Vocals bass guitar guitar keyboards drums percussion
Labels	Gordy Reprise A&M Mercury
Website	rickjames.com

Career

In 1978 James released his first single "You and I" and "Mary Jane". In 1981 he released "Give it to me Baby" and "Super Freak". He produced singer and comedian Eddie Murphy's 1985 single "Party All the Time". In 1990 he sued MC Hammer.

Personal life

In 1991 James was arrested with his girlfriend for kidnapping a woman. He made her have sex with his girlfriend. In 1994 he was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.^[1] He was released in 1996.^[2]