July 29, 1892 - February 19, 1959
A vocalist and among the most active of recording artists in the United States from 1917 through much of the 1930s. He was a member of the The Shannon Four, The Revelers, The Singing Sophomores, The Merrymakers and The Criterion Trio. He had many Top Ten hits during that time, including "My Baby Boy," "Till We Meet Again," "What'll I Do," and "Pal of My Cradle Days," among others.
Lewis James was born in Dexter, Michigan. He recorded extensively as a soloist, duet partner, and quartet lead singer. His first recording with the Shannon Four (a.k.a. the Shannon Quartet) was the World War I chestnut, "All Aboard For Home Sweet Home." Like many of his colleagues, he proved exceedingly versatile in recording love ballads, hymns, children's songs, and the more sophisticated early jazz harmonies of the Revelers with whom he made several successful European tours. The Shannon Four, Revelers, Crescent Trio, and Merrymakers consisted mostly of the same singers, with occasional substitutes. His sweet melodic tenor is immortalized on Victor, Columbia, and Edison recordings, mostly from 1917 through 1927.
Name Vars
- James
- L. James
- Lewes James
- Lewis James And Chorus
Aliases
- Robert Bruce
- Robert Lewis
- Chester Young
- Howard Clarke
- Bruce Wallace
- Charles Cinway
- George Wilson
- Charles Arnold
