Don’t forget: the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS this Sunday, June 6, at 8pm ET / 7 CT! Tune in to see James’s performance for his buddy Garth Brooks, as well as segments for this year’s other distinguished honorees: Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Midori and Dick Van Dyke.
Click below for a sneak peek clip from the show, James performing Garth’s classic song, “The River”. #KCHonors
Photo: Elman Studio
Click now to see restored footage of James performing his classic, “Sweet Baby James” (from the 1970 album of the same name) on the BBC program “One In Ten” in 1971.
The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA has produced a new streaming version of Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso’s Working: A Musical, the 1979 show based on the book by Studs Terkel and featuring three songs written by James!
Click now to see the Alliance Theatre’s productions of “Brother Trucker” (featuring Rob Lawhon), and “Millworker” (spotlighting Jewl Carney), then check out the song “Un Mejor Dia Vendra” (led by Eddy Rioseco), for which James supplied the music.
Working: A Musical is on at the Alliance Theatre until June 20 — visit AllianceTheatre.org for more information and to stream the complete show!
As a Memorial Day Tribute, click below for James’s performance of “Native Son” (from his 1991 album, New Moon Shine) live at VetsAid 2018.
Organized by Eagles’ Joe Walsh, VetsAid 2018 raised more than $800,000 to support veterans and their families. For more information, please visit VetsAid.org.
Thanks to Producer Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss and Deborah Rutter of the Kennedy Center, James was in DC last week for the taping of the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors. He was thrilled to perform for his dear old pal, Garth Brooks.
While James can’t tell you “what” he played, he can tell you “who” played along — Maestro Thomas Wilkins and the great National Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by Rickey Minor (bass) and his great band: Paul Jackson Jr. (guitar), Keith Carlock (drums), Charles Floyd (piano), Dave Delhomme (keys), and singers Kenya Hathaway, Matthew Johnson, Sharlotte Gibson, and Charlean Carmon.
This image was taken at rehearsals last Wednesday — tune in to CBS at 8pm ET on June 6 to see the big show!
Photo: Ellyn Kusmin
Click below to see UK singer Kate Rusby perform “Carolina In My Mind” with Ron Block on banjo during a recent live-stream performance.
Kate’s studio recording of JT’s song can be found on her new covers album, Hand Me Down. For more information or to order Hand Me Down, please visit KateRusby.com now.
James can’t get enough of your wonderful fan covers! If you’d like to be featured in a future edition of this newsletter, please send us a link to your video!
Click now for John Lemme and friend’s performance of JT’s “Shower The People”, a song from James’s 1976 release, In The Pocket.
And now, click to see Phillip Wiginton perform JT’s “Carolina In My Mind”, originally found on James’s self-titled debut album from 1968.
Today’s treat from James’s video vault comes from a 1986 appearance on the BBC series, ‘Wogan’. Click now to watch James and his band perform Buddy Holly’s classic “Everyday” (which James recorded on his 1986 album, That’s Why I’m Here).
James’s Grammy for American Standard (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – 2020) arrived safe and sound this week!
Recorded in James’s home studio, TheBarn, and produced by James, Dave O’Donnell and John Pizzarelli, American Standard features James re-imagining some of the 20th century’s most beloved songs and making them his own.
If you haven’t heard the album yet, American Standard is available now.