James Pursey English singer and record producer Date of Birth: 09.02.1955 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of James Percy
2. Early Music Career
3. Solo Career and Record Production
4. Revival of 'Sham 69'
5. Later Career and Artistic Talents

Biography of James Percy

James Percy, an English singer and record producer, is best known as the founder and frontman of the English punk rock band 'Sham 69'. He was born in Hersham, Surrey, where his father was in the military and his mother worked as a ticket seller at a cinema. At the age of 15, James dropped out of school and started working at a shop.

Early Music Career

James was a regular at the local disco, where he met Jonathan King. He first took the stage at the age of 14, albeit in a heavily intoxicated state. In 1976, James founded the band 'Sham 69', originally called 'Jimmy and the Ferrets'. James and his friends, Albie Slider, Billy Bostik, and Neil Harris, drew inspiration from 'The Ramones'. The band released a total of 4 albums, with six of their songs making it into the top 50 of the British charts. Unfortunately, the band didn't last long and disbanded in 1980.

Solo Career and Record Production

After the breakup of 'Sham 69', James performed with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. He then decided to pursue a solo career. James also worked as a record producer and was involved in several early projects of bands like 'Cockney Rejects' and 'Angelic Upstarts'. His first solo works were released under the label 'Polydor Records', which was also the former label of 'Sham 69'. He released his debut album 'Imagination Camouflage', followed by three singles and his second album 'Alien Orphan' under the label 'Epic Records'. His third album, 'Revenge is not the Password', was released in 1983 under 'Code Black' label.

Revival of 'Sham 69'

In 1986, James presented the new 'Sham 69', with Dave Parsons, a member of one of the most successful lineups of the band, joining him. James continued his solo career and the revived 'Sham 69' performed and recorded until 2006. In 2006, he recorded a new version of the band's old hit 'Hurry Up Harry', which became the unofficial anthem for a charitable event associated with the World Cup. However, in January 2007, 'Sham 69' disbanded again due to a conflict between James and Parsons.

Later Career and Artistic Talents

Initially, James intended to keep the name 'Sham 69' for his new band, but he later decided to name his new band 'Day 21'. In 2008, he participated in the reality show 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!', but his stint on the show was relatively short-lived. In July 2011, James decided to revive 'Sham 69' once again, this time with the original lineup. He reconciled with Dave Parsons, and they recruited Dave Tregunna and Mark Cain to perform with them for their first concert in London.

Aside from his musical talents, James is also a professional artist. He sells his artworks and donates the proceeds to the 'Hersham Hounds' dog shelter.