James Wayne

about

There were two James Waynes singing blues in 1950s America: a rather prolific James Wayne from Houston, TX, and a less prolific James Wayne from Elizabeth, NJ. The one from New Jersey recorded a song called 'This Little Letter' for Angeletone in 1960. There is more information on the one from Texas, who was born James Douglas Waynes, 1924, Houston, TX, United States. A Last.fm user wrote the following biography: I first heard James Wayne(s) via "Travelin' Mood" on the LP "Urban Blues: New Orleans Bounce" (Imperial LM-94004), which I bought in 1970, not long after it came out. An infectious song with an unusual rhythm and lots of whistling. In the 1980's I found a Dutch bootleg LP by Wayne called "Travelin' From Texas To New Orleans" (Sundown CG 709-02, 18 tracks). What follows is mostly adapted from the anonymous liner notes for that LP. James Waynes was credited with that name on his earliest recordings. Later it became James Wayne and from 1955 onwards, Wee Willie Wayne. He was an R&B singer with a distinctive voice, who was discovered in Texas by Bob Shad, the man probably best known to R&R fans as the owner of the Time, Brent and Shad labels in NYC in the late fifties and early sixties. However, Shad started out recording Southern R&B and blues on his Sittin' In With label in 1948. It was for this label that Wayne made his first recording (in Houston) and his only hit: "Tend To Your Business", which reached # 2 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1951. Shad next recorded

top songs

albums

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Retro High School Party

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Music For Mad Men - Robust Blues

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Sittin' In With Harlem Jade & Jax Vol. 1

Complete Recordings (Remastered)

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Junco Partner

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The Original Sound Of R&B 1951

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The Cosimo Matassa Story

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Atlas Blues Explosion

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Blues Beckons

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O Blues, Where Art Thou?

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Atlas Jump Blues Anthology

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Rockin' R&B Classics

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