Nicky James

In his hometown of Birmingham, England, rock & roll singer and guitarist Nicky James stood apart from the prevailing scene. A musician of exceptional ability, he helped launch successive groups whose subsequent fame bypassed him, even as their personnel attained widespread recognition while his own profile stayed largely local. Born Michael Clifford Nicholls in Birmingham, he first encountered rock & roll in 1955 upon the British arrival of Bill Haley & His Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock.” Thoroughly shaped by 1960 through the sounds of Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, and parallel American influences, he began performing rock & roll under the adopted name Nicky James. His entry into the city’s expanding rock circuit came first with the Lawmen, then with the Diplomats, also billed as Denny & the Diplomats, whose membership included singer/guitarist Denny Laine; at that stage James drew notice chiefly for his precise Elvis Presley-style vocals. Once the Diplomats dissolved, Laine joined an ensemble assembled from Birmingham’s leading band alumni that later became the Moody Blues, while some reports note James appeared briefly in an early version of the group before choosing to leave. He therefore took a different direction and was absent when the act scored its initial hit single, “Go Now,” only two months later. He next assembled the Nicky James Movement, whose ranks at one point included future Move/ELO drummer Bev Bevan, succeeded by future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, along with future World of Oz bassist Tony Clarkson. He likewise collaborated professionally with Roy Wood, later of the Move, and Mike Pinder, later of the Moody Blues. Over time James watched former associates advance into arena rock and genre-defining ensembles, yet he sustained activity across multiple spheres, including songwriting partnerships with Allan Clarke of the Hollies and collaborations with a pre-stardom Elton John, as well as a tenure in the mod act the Jamesons alongside John Walker (aka John Maus), formerly of the Walker Brothers. He issued several albums and singles under his own name, beginning with a self-titled debut LP on Philips Records in the late ’60s and continuing on Threshold Records—the Moody Blues’ label—with Every Home Should Have One (1972) and Thunderthroat (1976) plus assorted singles. The 1972 single “Black Dream,” backed with “She Came to Me,” remains the track most closely identified with him even decades afterward and also appeared on Every Home Should Have One. A subsequent Polydor contract did not curtail his work with longtime Birmingham associates. After the Moodies’ 1973 split he contributed to several solo projects by former members, most prominently Ray Thomas, with whom he co-wrote numerous songs under what was intended as a three-album agreement (though only two materialized), and Graeme Edge. He maintained a presence in the music industry into the 21st century and appeared in the 2006 documentary Classic Artists: The Moody Blues. By then, however, he was gravely ill and died in October 2007 from complications of a brain tumor.