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James Brown (Elvis impersonator)

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James Brown a.k.a. Jim Brown
Also known asThe King
Born1968 (age 55–56)[1]
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Years active1998–present
Websitewww.homeoftheking.com

James "The King" Brown (born 1968) is a Belfast-born Elvis Presley tribute act known for his covers of songs done in the style of Elvis.[2][3] In the vein of "songs that Elvis should have done,"[4] Brown often performs songs by other artists such as "Whole Lotta Rosie", originally by AC/DC, and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", originally by Queen.

Career

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Initially a career Belfast postman, Brown became a singer after the positive reaction he received performing "Suspicious Minds" and "The Wonder of You" at a bar in Belfast, and attracting the attention of local singer-songwriter, record producer & former Energy Orchard frontman Bap Kennedy.[5][6][7]

Brown's first album, Gravelands was originally recorded for and released by the London-based Dressed To Kill label in 1997 before being licensed to EMI Electrola in 1998. The album contained his biggest hits "Come as You Are" by Nirvana and "Whole Lotta Rosie" by AC/DC.[1] Gravelands would go on to sell half a million copies.[8] In 2000, Brown released his second album Return to Splendor which contained the hit "Under The Bridge" originally by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Brown also toured with the Fun Lovin' Criminals and Stereophonics.[9] Due to a management dispute in 2000, he parted ways with his band. Thanks to music producer Zeus B. Held, Brown gained a new set of German backing instrumentalists, mostly from Freiburg.[10] Brown's cover of Roger Miller's 1964 single "King of the Road" was featured in a 2001 Audi commercial on German TV and subsequently released as a single.[11][12] In 2005 Brown released his third studio album Any Way You Want Me via Browman Records – his first with original songs rather than cover versions.[10]

In 2009 Brown recorded "When the Rebel Comes Home", "Waiting for this Moment" and "Until it Happens" at Ardent Studios for the film Lonely Street (2009).[13][14] In April 2014 he released Return to Gravelands, a 'best of' album consisting of tracks from his first three albums and the three otherwise unavailable contributions from Lonely Street.[13][14] This was accompanied by a European tour of the same name, culminating in a one-off performance at Belfast's Empire on 9 May. Brown continues to perform live in Northern Ireland but occasionally travels to other countries throughout Europe,mainly Germany, to perform"[6][15] September 2020 saw the release of the second Willow Springs (a project by fellow NI musician, Mark Crockard) album "Night-time Radio" featuring two original songs written for Jim - "Hello Friend" and "To be with you".

Personal life

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Brown is married, with five children, and lives in Newtownabbey.[16]

Discography

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Gravelands (album)

Return To Splendor (album)

  • Released: 2000[17]
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Electrola
  • Chart position: No. 15 in Germany; No. 97 in Switzerland[19]

"King of the Road (single)" from the album King of the road : der Hit aus der Audi Werbung[11]

Live in Concert (album)

  • Released: 2004
  • Format: CD

Any Way You Want Me (album)

  • Released: 2005[20]
  • Format: CD

The American Sound Show (album)

  • Released: 2007
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Elvis-Presley-Gesellschaft[21]

Lonely Street (film soundtrack)

  • Released: 2009
  • Producer: Danny Seraphine[22]
  • Tracks: "When the Rebel Comes Home", "Waiting for this Moment", "Until It Happens"

References

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  1. ^ a b c Johnson, Beth (16 April 1999). "Mailhouse Rock". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  2. ^ Sturges, Fiona (9 January 1999). "First Night: Postman brings Elvis back to life". The Independent. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  3. ^ "The man who would be king". Derry Journal. 9 August 2007. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  4. ^ Gilbert, Peter (2014). My Old Man's A Busman. AuthorHouse. p. 61. ISBN 9781496978677. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  5. ^ Vaziri, Aidin (23 May 1999). "Q & A with an Elvis Impersonator". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  6. ^ a b "The King and I". Belfast Telegraph. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  7. ^ Vanhorn, Teri (14 January 1999). "Best Of '99: It's Now Or Nevermind: Elvis Impersonator Does Nirvana". MTV. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  8. ^ Weber, Manuel (12 April 2014). "Elvis ist zurück!". Kieler Nachrichten (in German). Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Konzert: The King" (in German). Dortmund. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  10. ^ a b Gröbbels, Udo (20 May 2010). "Interview mit The King" (in German). Rocktimes.de. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  11. ^ a b "King of the road : der Hit aus der Audi Werbung" (in German). German National Library. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  12. ^ King of the road der Hit aus der Audi Werbung. Online Computer Library Center. 22 February 1999. OCLC 725636435. Retrieved 17 July 2014 – via WorldCat.
  13. ^ a b Seraphine, Danny (23 September 2010). Street Player: My Chicago Story. John Wiley & Sons. p. 284. ISBN 9780470625736. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  14. ^ a b Beifuss, John (1 August 2009). "Septuagenarian Elvis, comedy thriller take long route to DVD release". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Shared Future Concert packs'em in". Ballymena Times. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  16. ^ Carson, Helen (23 January 2018). "Me and my health: Jim 'The King' Brown - The hip-swivelling I do on stage as Elvis gives me sore joints". Belfast Telegraph.
  17. ^ a b Reid, Graham (6 July 2012). "The King: Come As You Are (1998)". Elsewhere.co.nz. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  18. ^ Hung, Steffen. "The King – Gravelands". uk-charts.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  19. ^ Hung, Steffen (20 October 2006). "The King – Return To Splendor". uk-charts.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  20. ^ "THE KING". The Belfast Empire Music Hall. 4 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  21. ^ "Elvis Presley CD Info". Elvisoncd.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Lonely Street (2009)". TCM.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
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