Alex James Bassist and guitarist of the English band "Blur" Date of Birth: 21.11.1968 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Alex James
2. Collaborations and Solo Projects
3. 'Bad Lieutenant' and Other Endeavors
4. Personal Life and Interests

Biography of Alex James

Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, and journalist, best known for his work as the bassist and vocalist of the band 'Blur'. He was born Stephen Alexander James in Boscombe, Bournemouth. After completing school in his hometown, he moved to the University of London. It was at university where James first met Graham Coxon, his future bandmate in 'Blur', and later Damon Albarn and Dave Rowntree, who were playing in the band 'Circus' at the time. In 1989, James joined their new band, 'Seymour', which was later renamed 'Blur'.

Collaborations and Solo Projects

Unlike Albarn and Coxon, James did not pursue solo projects, but he did collaborate with other musicians. In 1998, he formed the group 'Fat Les' with Keith Allen and Damien Hirst. One of their most successful songs was the single 'Vindaloo', which reached the second position in the UK singles chart and was even performed at the World Cup. Another successful side project of James was the band 'Me Me Me', which he formed with Stephen Duffy. He also wrote songs for Marianne Faithfull and Sophie Ellis Bextor, with whom he had a long collaboration, starting with her debut album 'Read My Lips'.

'Bad Lieutenant' and Other Endeavors

In 2009, James joined Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Phil Cunningham, former members of the recently disbanded 'New Order', to form a new band called 'Bad Lieutenant'. Apart from music, James is also known for his writing. He regularly contributes to various British newspapers and magazines, including 'Independent', 'Observer', 'Times', 'Sunday Times', 'Q', 'Spectator', and 'The Idler'. He has also appeared on radio, hosting programs such as 'The Tube' on Channel 4 Radio and BBC Radio 4.

Personal Life and Interests

James published his autobiography, 'Bit of Blur', in June 2007, focusing on his work with the band. He is married to producer Claire Neate, and they have three sons (Geronimo, Artemis, and Galileo) and two daughters (Sable and Beatrix). They live on a farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire, where James indulges in his passion for rare cheese-making. His cheddar cheese, 'Little Wallop', has won several British Cheese Awards. Besides cheese and music, James has a strong interest in space and space travel. He played a role in supporting the ill-fated 'Beagle 2' project through 'Blur'.